Full house at Israel Equal Employment Opportunities Commission conference under EU Twinning project

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Full house at Israel Equal Employment Opportunities Commission conference under EU Twinning project

15-04-2011

Some 700 people attended the recent Annual Conference of the Israel Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) on the theme "Diversity - Engine of Economic Prosperity", organised under the EU-funded Twinning project in Israel.

A press release said participants came from a wide range of private sector employers, the public sector and NGOs. Keynote speakers were Minister of Industry Trade and Labour Shalom Simhon, Head of the EU Delegation to Israel Andrew Standley, British Ambassador Mathew Gould, Head of Israel's Manufacturers' Association Shraga Brosh and the Chief Executive of the Israel Bar Association Adv. Yori Geiron

The issues addressed in plenary and workshop sessions covered the controversial topic of military service as a criterion for recruitment and selection, the business case for equalities, portrayal of discrimination in the media, practical steps to achieve diversity in recruitment and selection and the state of equalities and discrimination in Israel.

EEOC National Commissioner Tziona Koenig-Yair said: "The conference was a very major success in highlighting the key role of employers in achieving equalities at work and the major benefits of doing so. This success would not have been possible without the support and expertise provided under the EU Twinning Project."

Bob Niven, Resident Twinning Adviser to the EEOC, added that "The success of the conference demonstrated the increased capacity, authority and impact of the EEOC since the twinning project began in March 2010”. The project has already provided a wide range of practical types of support and materials both generally and for the conference, including EU experts, a promotional DVD and the first (on recruitment and selection) in a series of EEOC Good Practice Guides.

Under the European Neighbourhood Policy, the EU, the Israeli EEOC and the Northern Ireland Equality Commission are partners in a two year "twinning" project to strengthen the EEOC's capacity. The project's main objectives are to promote and disseminate good equalities practice; to design and deliver an awareness raising strategy, to build accessible databases of key anti-discrimination legal cases in the EU and Israel; to enable employers to assess whether they are achieving fair employment; and to design and help the EEOC to implement a longer term overall strategy. The project is on or ahead of schedule on all of these activities. (ENPI Info Centre)

Read more

Press release

EU Delegation to Israel - website

ENPI Info Centre - Sharing experience to bring equal opportunities

EuropeAid Development and Cooperation – Twinning

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