ANNEX 2
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
COMMISSION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY AND MINISTRY
OF DEFENCE
BACKGROUND
1. The Commission for Racial Equality ("the
Commission") between April 1994 and March 1996 conducted
a formal investigation into recruitment and other personnel practices
of the Ministry of Defence (Household Cavalry)
2. In a report published on 28 March 1996,
the Commission concluded that the Ministry of Defence (Household
Cavalry) had committed acts of unlawful discrimination under the
following headings:
(a) indirect discrimination in officer recruitment
and selection;
(b) direct discrimination in soldier recruitment
and selection;
(c) direct discrimination in postings of
other corps and regiments;
(d) abuse and harassment of ethnic minority
soldiers; and
(e) instructions or inducements to discriminate.
3. The Commission having notified the Ministry
of Defence of its intention to issue a Non-Discrimination Notice
and the Ministry of Defence representations having been received,
the Commission and the Ministry of Defence on 28 March 1996 entered
into an Agreement under the terms of which
(a) the MoD agreed to comply with the undertakings
set out in the "Action Plan" appended to the Agreement
for a period of five years from the date of the Agreement;
(b) the Commission agreed to refrain from
making the decision to issue a Non-Discrimination Notice for a
period of one year from the date of the Agreement and, provided
the Commission is satisfied that the undertakings have been complied
with, agrees at the end of that period to abandon altogether the
question of a Non-Discrimination Notice.
4. The Commission, in March 1998, is satisfied
that the Ministry of Defence has made sufficient progress towards
compliance with the undertakings in the Action Plan and accordingly
has agreed to abandon the question of a Non-Discrimination Notice
in respect of the said formal investigation.
5. The Ministry of Defence, under the terms
of the Agreement in March 1996, remains bound to continued compliance
with the Action Plan which has required procedures, monitoring
and training to be put in place for a further three years.
6. The Commission acknowledges the commitment
at the top levels of the Armed Forces to increase the proportions
of serving ethnic minority personnel and to achieve greater racial
equality, exemplified by the acceptance of the Leadership Challenge
by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the single Service Chiefs
of Staff.
7. The Commission notes the targets for
recruitment of ethnic minorities by each of the Services announced
by the Minister for the Armed Forces on 22 January 1998, namely
2% in 1998-99, 3% in 1999-2000, 4% in 2000-2001 and 5% in 2001-2002.
The Commission recognises the increased effort and resources which
each of the Services is devoting to outreach and positive action
activities to encourage ethnic minority men and women to enlist.
8. The Armed Forces, acknowledging past
failures in the field of race relations, are now committed to
achieving permanent change. As well as striving to achieve the
recruitment targets announced by the Government, each of the Services
will continue to take action to improve retention of ethnic minority
servicemen and women, which includes implementing measures to
prevent racial harassment and discrimination and providing effective
procedures to deal with complaints of harassment and discrimination.
AGREEMENT TO
ENTER INTO
A PARTNERSHIP
9. The Commission for Racial Equality and
the Ministry of Defence now wish to work together on a basis of
partnership for a period of five years, from 25 March 1998, for
the following purposes:
10. To ensure continued compliance by the
Ministry of Defence with the Action Plan which was annexed to
the 1996 CRE-MoD Agreement;
11. To promote racial equality within the
Armed Forces;
12. To build upon the cooperation and positive
relationship which has developed during the first two years of
the Action Plan.
13. To see the Armed Forces go beyond the
requirements of the Action Plan, which has facilitated the establishment
of procedures, monitoring and training, to achieve real progress
in qualitative terms, particularly in relation to the following
priority areas:
(a) achievement of recruitment targets;
(b) continuing objective examination of possible
barriers to ethnic minority recruitment and action to remove any
such barriers;
(c) retention of service personnel from all
ethnic backgrounds;
(d) continuing objective examination of reasons
for premature voluntary release;
(e) increased numbers of ethnic minority
officers at higher ranks through the successful application of
racial equality policies;
(f) continuing objective examination of possible
barriers to ethnic minority promotion and action to remove any
such barriers;
(g) action to establish and maintain environment
and standards of behaviour at every level which are non-racist
and non-discriminatory;
(h) effective action to prevent racist abuse,
bullying and harassment;
(i) clear lines of accountability for discrimination
and racist behaviour;
(j) effective and robust monitoring of racial
equality policies;
(k) assessment of equal opportunity performance
as part of the annual appraisal of each serviceman or woman.
TERMS OF
THE PARTNERSHIP
14. The Ministry of Defence will continue
to comply with the undertakings of the March 1996 Action Plan
including regular reporting to and discussions with the Commission.
15. Additionally each of the Services will
report annually to the Commission on performance in respect of
the above, which are acknowledged as necessary in order to achieve
institutional and/or cultural change. Meetings between nominated
Commissioners and senior representatives of the three Services
to review progress will take place approximately every six months,
as well as meetings at officer level from time to time as appropriate.
16. The Commission will continue, within
the constraints of its resources, to provide advice, guidance
and support to the Armed Forces in their pursuit of racial equality.
17. Where appropriate, the Commission will
provide information to Racial Equality Councils or other community
organisations to facilitate their co-operation with the MoD and
with the activities of the separate Services to encourage ethnic
minority recruitment.
18. If at any time during the currency of
this Partnership Agreement the Commission should be of the view
that the expected rates of progress have not been maintained by
any of the Services the Commission retains the right to intervene
by way of advice or other action as appropriate.
19. Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent
the Commission from providing advice and assistance to individual
members of the Armed Forces under Section 66 of the Race Relations
Act.
Signed the 25th day of March 1998
Sir Herman Ouseley
Chairman
Commission for Racial Equality
General Sir Charles Guthrie, GCB,
LVO, OBE, ADC Gen
Chief of the Defence Staff
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