Northern Ireland Project Supports Employment Equality in Israel

9 September 2009

Press Release issued by NI-CO

 

Northern Ireland’s leading international development consultancy, NI-CO, has secured a €1 million contract from the European Commission to deliver a ground breaking equality project in Israel. The Belfast based organisation is being tasked with strengthening the capacity of the recently established Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) in Israel, a body set up in 2008 to challenge discrimination in the workplace.

Commenting on the award of the contract, NI-CO’s Chief Executive, Graeme McCammon, said: “NI-CO is delighted by the award of this flagship project in Israel. Over the last 5 years the company has developed a strong profile in the Eastern Mediterranean region using the unique reservoir of expertise which exists in Northern Ireland to support good governance programmes in Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories. The award of this latest contract makes an important contribution to raising the positive profile of Northern Ireland throughout Europe and beyond and is testimony to the strength of our skills base in delivering efficient, effective and accountable public services for all sections of the community.’’

NICO will be supported by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland and will be providing expertise and guidance to the EEOC throughout the 18 month project.

Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland, comments, “The Equality Commission is pleased to support the work of NI-CO and we look forward to the opportunity to work with the recently established Equal Employment Opportunities Commission in Israel. We will be sharing with them the expertise and experience we have developed locally and helping to strengthen their capacity to promote equality and challenge discrimination in the workplace. “

The NI-CO expert team will be working in partnership with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour in Israel to help the EEOC develop sustainable employment opportunities for all sections of the Israeli population with a particular focus on vulnerable population groups such as women, the Arab community and Orthodox Jews.

Tziona Koenig- Yair, E.E.O.C. National Commissioner, heralded the project as a unique opportunity for Israel to learn from the Northern Ireland experience on equality in the past decades.‘’ We look forward to this cooperation and have high hopes for the impact this project will have in terms of strengthening our capacity and mainstreaming equality into the workplace in Israel. “

Ends

For further information please contact :

Melanie Maxwell

Marketing Director

NI-CO

Tel : 02890347769

E mail : mmaxwell@nico.org.uk

Notes for Editors

1) NI-CO is a not for profit, public body dedicated to the pursuit of building efficient, accountable and sustainable public sector institutions capable of managing donor aid effectively and implementing positive change through promoting the skills and experience of the Northern Ireland public service abroad. Over the last 17 years, NI-CO has delivered over 400 contracts across 66 countries in a diverse range of areas from policing and accessible justice, to healthcare and economic development.

2)The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland was set up in 1999 as an independent public body established under the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Its mission is to advance equality, promote equality of opportunity, encourage good relations and challenge discrimination through promotion, advice and enforcement.

3)Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (E.E.O.C.) The E.E.O.C. in Israel was established by law in January 2008 due to the inadequate enforcement of equal employment opportunities legislation. The Commission’s main objective is to battle discrimination in the workplace and promote equality on the basis of age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic origin, reserve duty in the army, gender, parental status.

4)The Northern Ireland based bid was submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on behalf of the United Kingdom, in competition with bids from France and Spain. The EC funded institutional twinning project is one of the first equality programmes to be supported by the international donor community in the Middle East.