Scotland – Context

Scotland – Most Significant Strategy, Policy, Legislation (SPL)

Scotland – Most Significant – Strategy, Policy, Legislation (SPL)

Link	Description
2004: Scottish Government – Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy	Strategy not found – referenced in the Anti-Racism Policy Review (Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, 2001).
2007: National Performance Framework for Scotland	The National Performance Framework (NPF) in Scotland was first created by the Scottish Government in 2007. This framework was introduced to set out the government's vision for the collective wellbeing of Scotland and to guide its approach to achieving that vision. The NPF was designed to be a strategic tool, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and focusing on a balanced approach to economic, social, and environmental progress.
2012: The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations	The Scottish Specific Duties were created by secondary legislation in the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. The specific duties for Scotland were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 21 March 2012 and came into force on 27 May 2012. The purpose of the specific duties in Scotland is to help those authorities listed in the Regulations in their performance of the general equality duty . • Duty to report on mainstreaming the equality duty • Duty to publish equality outcomes and report progress • Duty to assess and review policies and practices • Duty to gather and use employee information • Duty to publish gender pay gap information • Duty to publish statements on equal pay, etc • Duty to consider award criteria and conditions in relation to public procurement • Duty to publish in a manner that is accessible, etc • Duty of the Scottish Ministers to publish proposals to enable better performance The Equality Act & Scottish Specific Duties are significant when considering anti-racism in Scotland, as they contain arguably the clearest legally mandated requirements for public Sector Bodies
2015: Scottish Government – Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015	The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 will help to empower community bodies through the ownership or control of land and buildings, and by strengthening their voices in decisions about public services. There are 11 topics covered by the Act.
2015: The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations	The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015, made by the Scottish Ministers, amended the 2012 Regulations to include newly created public bodies and revise existing timelines for reporting. Specifically, it modified the list of public authorities covered and adjusted the deadlines for compliance with certain duties, particularly concerning gender pay gap information and equal pay statements. Key Changes: • Adding New Public Authorities: The regulations added several newly created public bodies to the list of those covered by the specific duties. • Modifying Compliance Dates: The regulations adjusted the dates by which these new authorities were required to comply with certain duties. • Revised Gender Pay Gap Reporting: The regulations revised the timelines for publishing gender pay gap information and equal pay statements under regulations 7 and 8 of the 2012 Regulations, requiring publication for most authorities except those with fewer than 20 employees.
2016: Open Government Partnership Scottish National Action Plan 2016 – 2017	Scottish Government and Scottish Civil Society share the values of Open Government which aim to foster openness, transparency and citizen participation. This is Scotland’s first Open Government National Action Plan. It has been developed jointly by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Civil Society Network with the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
2016: The Race Equality Framework (REF) for Scotland	The Race Equality Framework (REF) for Scotland sets out how the Scottish Government aims to progress this ambition over a 15-year period from 2016 to 2030. In this document, there is a vision for Scotland in 2030 to be a country “where people are healthier, happier and treated with respect, and where opportunities, wealth and power are more equally spread.
2017: Scotland’s Equality Evidence Strategy 2017-2021	This equality evidence strategy will outline our general approach to strengthening Scotland's equality evidence base and filling evidence gaps over the next four years. It will set out where there are evidence gaps and, where possible and applicable, it will link the evidence gaps identified to the relevant policy, programmes, legislation, and measurement frameworks. For example, a high priority evidence gap for the Scottish Government could link directly to an existing policy programme such as the Race Equality Framework or a measurement framework such as the National Performance Framework [6] . Other public sector organisations and local communities may have a different understanding of their data and their priorities, and new analytical insights developed to evidence these should be shared widely to help strengthen Scotland's equality evidence base.
2017: Scotland’s Second National Human Rights Action Plan (SNAP2)	SNAP 2 is Scotland’s second national human rights action plan. Its vision is a Scotland where everyone can live with human dignity. SNAP 2 will run from 2023 to 2030 and build on the achievements of SNAP 1, which ran from 2013 to 2017. SNAP 2 is guided and underpinned by fundamental human rights principles that apply to all the actions. There are eight key priorities, which reflect some of the major issues that currently affect people in Scotland, as well as universal human rights that should be respected, protected, and fulfilled.
2021: Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021	The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 (Scottish Parliament Act 2021, asp 14) is legislation that aims to consolidate and update Scotland's hate crime laws. It introduces new offences for stirring up hatred, provides for the aggravation of offences by prejudice, and abolishes the offense of blasphemy. The Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2021 and came into effect on April 1, 2024.
2021: Scottish Government – Expert Reference Group (ERG) on COVID-19 and Ethnicity Established	The Expert Reference Group (ERG) on COVID-19 and Ethnicity was established by Scottish Government “to ensure that they had an accurate understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on minority ethnic and migrant communities in Scotland, and that policy responses reflected this. It was also asserted that there is a need to work on improving existing systems and processes, and analysing what we know, while at the same time looking more fundamentally at how the system itself needs to change. The ERG was asked to provide advice and recommendations by the Scottish Government in relation to data, evidence, risk and systemic issues. Two subgroups of the ERG were formed: one to review health data and evidence, and the other to examine systemic issues and risk
2021: Scottish Government – Fairer Scotland Duty	The Fairer Scotland Duty (the Duty) came into force on 1 April 2018 and places a legal responsibility on named public bodies in Scotland to actively consider (‘pay due regard’ to) how they can reduce inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage, when making strategic decisions. The Fairer Scotland Duty, set out in Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, came into force in Scotland from 1 April 2018. When deciding how to fulfil the Duty, the Equality Act 2010 requires those public bodies to take into account this statutory guidance issued by Scottish Ministers.
2021: Scottish Government – The Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme (REAREP)	The Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme (REAREP) was established in early 2021, following a three month period of stakeholder engagement with more than 50 education and race equality stakeholders, including young people. This was in response to the public discourse on the Black Lives Matters movement, and the significant amount of correspondence received by then Cabinet Secretary for Education, John Swinney on how the movement impacts on provision of education in Scotland’s schools.
2021: The Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP)	The Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP) is based on delivering on the recommendations of the Expert Reference Group (ERG) on COVID-19 and Ethnicity. The IPP focuses on supporting communities to recover from COVID-19 while implementing the recommendations of the Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity (ERG). As such, there is a need to ensure there is an ongoing focus on implementing the REF that may have been lost through pivoting to responding to the pandemic. A significant proportion of the ERG recommendations focus on systemic and structural change. A key recommendation of the ERG was to establish an external body to provide a range of functions, including oversight and governance. Recommendation 7 was to set up external governance to review race equality work, and the formation of an observatory
2022: Scottish Government – Data Collection and Publication – Ethnic Group: Guidance	Guidance for public bodies on the collection of data on ethnic group.
2022: The Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group (AIGG) is Established	An independent Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group (AIGG) to Develop National Anti-Racism Infrastructure (AIGG) has been established, comprised of people with expertise and lived experience of racism. The purpose of the group is to: • provide independent oversight and to hold Scottish Government accountable for progress against the actions in the Race Equality Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP) • provide scrutiny and advice on the work to establish a programme of systemic change on race equality • consider, gather evidence, and propose the model to support the establishment of an independent observatory • support and advise on the transition to a permanent governance body provide advice and feedback to Scottish ministers.
2023: Scotland SPL – Scottish Government – Hate Crime Strategy	Sets out our key priorities for tackling hate crime and prejudice in Scotland. This strategy has been developed in partnership with our Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group and the voices of those with lived experience. The strategy focuses on three key aims: improving support for victims, enhancing data and evidence, and developing effective approaches to preventing hate crime. Central to this was implementing the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, which came into force on 1 April 2024 and protects against offences aggravated by prejudice. Developed in collaboration with expert partners, this work addresses the profound impacts of hate crime on individuals and communities.
2024: Scottish Government – UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 – Statutory Guidance	The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 is a law that makes the UNCRC part of Scottish law. This means public authorities in Scotland cannot act in a way that is incompatible with the rights outlined in the UNCRC. The Act gives courts the power to decide if legislation is compatible, allows the Children and Young People's Commissioner to take legal action for children's rights, and requires the government to create a Children's Rights Scheme to show how it is meeting these requirements. This document provides guidance and accessible information which supports public authorities to understand and fulfil their duties under section 6 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Act, and to secure better or further effect of children’s rights.
2024: The Revised National Standards for Community Engagement & Participation Handbook	The National Standards for Community Engagement are Scotland’s good- practice principles designed to support and inform the process of community engagement, and improve what happens as a result. They describe the main elements of effective community engagement, and set out detailed performance statements that everyone involved can use to achieve the highest quality results and the greatest impact. They are intended to act as a central benchmark and reference point for best practice, and have been widely accepted by a range of practitioners as key principles for effective practice. There are seven standards: Inclusion: we will identify and involve the people and organisations that are affected by the focus of the engagement Support: we will identify and overcome any barriers to participation Planning: there is a clear purpose for the engagement, which is based on a shared understanding of community needs and ambitions Working together: we will work effectively together to achieve the aims of the engagement Methods: we will use methods of engagement that are fit for purpose Communication: we will communicate clearly and regularly with the people, organisations and communities affected by the engagement Impact: we will assess the impact of the engagement and use what we have learned to improve our future community engagement
2024: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act	United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024
2025: Human Rights Bill for Scotland: Discussion Paper	This discussion paper sets out the Scottish Government’s current thinking on a potential new Human Rights Bill for Scotland. The Scottish Government has committed to passing a new Human Rights Bill for Scotland by May 2026. This Bill will incorporate 4 major United Nations human rights treaties. These treaties are: • The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights • The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) • The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) • The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) The Bill will also include the right to a healthy environment, as well as extra equality protections for some groups such as older people and LGBTI people. The Bill will place new duties on public bodies to comply with these rights and to report on progress. It will also include new ways for people to access justice if these rights are not respected.
2025: Programme for Government 2025 – 2026
2025: Scotland’s Open Government Action Plan 2021-25	The 2021-25 Open Government Action Plan includes actions on current priorities, such as: greater openness, transparency and empowerment through open data. incorporating innovative participation through user-centred design in Health and Social Care reform.
2025: Scottish Government – Equality Outcomes 2025-2029	Provides an update on our new equality outcomes for the 2025 to 2029 reporting period, including intended actions we will take to meet these outcomes.
2025: Scottish Government – Mainstreaming Report 2023-2025	Provides an update on the progress we are making to mainstream the equality duty as an employer and decision-maker. It also provides reflection on our progress towards achieving our equality outcomes for the 2021 to 2025 reporting period.
2025: Scottish Government – Programme for Government 2025 to 2026	The Scottish Government's Programme for Government (PfG) 2025 to 2026 outlines the key policy priorities for the coming year, focusing on four core areas: eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency, and delivering high-quality, sustainable public services. This document details the specific actions and legislative programmes the government will implement to achieve these goals.
2025: Scottish Government – The Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy Consultation	The independent analysis of responses to the consultation on the Equality and Human Rights strategy. The Strategy sets out a framework that will guide the work that the Scottish Government, the wider public sector and partners will do to embed equality and human rights in all that it does.
2026: Scottish Government – National Performance Framework Update	There is a statutory requirement for the NPF to be reviewed within every five years, with the next review due to commence by May 2023 at the latest. Work on NPF reform has commenced. We expect to be ready to launch the next iteration of the NPF around the start of the new parliamentary session and new government. Full implementation would be an ongoing exercise, as the implementation plan is executed, and website/user interface development would continue through 2026.

Scotland – Major Events Timeline

Scotland – Main Accountability Mechanisms

Accountability Mechanisms – Scotland

Link	Description
2007: National Performance Framework for Scotland	The National Performance Framework (NPF) in Scotland was first created by the Scottish Government in 2007. This framework was introduced to set out the government's vision for the collective wellbeing of Scotland and to guide its approach to achieving that vision. The NPF was designed to be a strategic tool, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and focusing on a balanced approach to economic, social, and environmental progress.
2016: Scotland SPL – Race Equality Framework (REF) for Scotland 2016 to 2030	In 2016, the Scottish Government published the Race Equality Framework (REF) for Scotland. CRER provided the Scottish Government with independent support in the development and delivery of the Framework. The content of the Framework was developed with input from key stakeholders and drafted collaboratively, with the Scottish Government and CRER both contributing and editing on an ongoing basis. The REF sets out how the Scottish Government aims to progress this ambition over a 15-year period from 2016 to 2030. In this document there is vision for Scotland in 2030 to be a country “where people are healthier, happier and treated with respect, and where opportunities, wealth and power are more equally spread.
2017: Scottish Government – A Fairer Scotland for All: Race Equality Action Plan (REAP) 2017-21	The race equality action plan sets out the key actions for the Scottish Government to drive positive change for minority ethnic communities.
2021: Race Equality Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP)	The Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP) is based on delivering on the recommendations of the Expert Reference Group (ERG) on COVID-19 and Ethnicity. The IPP focuses on supporting communities to recover from COVID-19 while implementing the recommendations of the Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity (ERG). As such, there is a need to ensure there is an ongoing focus on implementing the REF that may have been lost through pivoting to responding to the pandemic. A significant proportion of the ERG recommendations focus on systemic and structural change. A key recommendation of the ERG was to establish an external body to provide a range of functions, including oversight and governance. Recommendation 7 was to set up external governance to review race equality work, and the formation of an observatory
2021: The Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP)	The Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP) is based on delivering on the recommendations of the Expert Reference Group (ERG) on COVID-19 and Ethnicity. The IPP focuses on supporting communities to recover from COVID-19 while implementing the recommendations of the Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity (ERG). As such, there is a need to ensure there is an ongoing focus on implementing the REF that may have been lost through pivoting to responding to the pandemic. A significant proportion of the ERG recommendations focus on systemic and structural change. A key recommendation of the ERG was to establish an external body to provide a range of functions, including oversight and governance. Recommendation 7 was to set up external governance to review race equality work, and the formation of an observatory

Dr Addy's – Scottish Anti-Racism Resource Library (ARRL)

Scotland – Context

Scotland – Most Significant Strategy, Policy, Legislation (SPL)

Scotland – Major Events Timeline

Scotland – Main Accountability Mechanisms

Further Information – Scotland – Accountability Mechanisms

Scotland – The Intermediate Priorities Plan (IPP)

Scotland – The Race Equality Framework (REF)

Scotland – Human Rights

Scotland – The Equality Act, PSED & SSDs

Scotland – Key Publications & Resources

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