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General information about Art.1

Equal treatment for everyone
Art.1 [pronounced : article 1] is the national association against discrimination. In this association, local and regional anti-discrimination agencies (ADAs) and the former National Bureau against Discrimination (LBR) have pooled their powers and expertise in order to support and strengthen each other in the battle against discrimination. The members of Art.1 are the ADAs. The national expertise centre has been created from the former LBR.

In this way, what is for Europe a unique infrastructure has been created in the Netherlands for the prevention and the combatting of all forms of discrimination (gender, skin-colour, age, handicap, religious belief, sexual orientation etc.). With the ADAs as members, and the former LBR as national bureau, Art.1 is better able to accommodate national and regional policy to each another. It is also Art.1's aim to provide nationwide coverage through the ADAs, so that all citizens will be able to make a complaint or take an enquiry directly to a bureau in their home town or region.

The national expertise centre supports its members in their activities, and fills the role of a centre of expertise. Among the services that are offered by its members at local and regional level are support and advice on making complaints, the organisation of projects, the provision of information, and the recording of complaints and accounts of discrimination.

The functions of the national expertise centre, Art.1
The services provided by the national expertise centre include among others legal consultation, policy guidance, the provision of information, courses, training, educational projects, and a documentation centre.

Among the national expertise centre's main functions are:

• To record and monitor discrimination in the Netherlands;
• To influence the policy, and the legislative activities of government, and of other relevant bodies;
• To promote resilience and social cohesion;
• To stimulate and maintain a nationwide network to oppose discrimination;
• To promote professional expertise in, and the provision of specialist knowledge to, the ADAs.

International functions
Art.1 works within the framework of the international conventions in which human rights have been laid down, and which therefore exercise constraints upon policy and legislation in the Netherlands in the battle against discrimination. These conventions include among others article 13 of the Treaty of Amsterdam (the EC-Treaty), the International Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and International Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Art.1 exerts influence on international developments through advice, research, lobbying, and through participation in the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) and other networks.

Vision
It is Art.1's vision that human beings, in all their diversity, are equal in value, and deserve to be free from discrimination. Discrimination is harmful, and can have particularly deep effects on people’s lives. Respect for, and protection of, human dignity, are of paramount importance to Art.1.

A short history of national bureau Art.1
Racism experienced a revival in the mid 1980's. Far-right political parties such as the Centre Party (CP), the Centre Democrats (CD) and the Dutch People's Union (NVU) gained more and more supporters. To oppose these developments, many action groups and consultative bodies were set up. Many local initiatives developed into antidiscrimination bureaus and drop-in centres where complaints of discrimination could be made.

Three national organisations, the Antidiscrimination Committee (ADO - a consultative body and centre of expertise in fair portrayal and the media), the Antiracism Information Centre (ARiC) and the National Bureau against Racial Discrimination (LBR, specialising in legislation), pooled their forces and their expertise in 1999, so as jointly to concentrate on policy advice, research, and the provision of information on the fight against racism. The new organisation continued under the name of the LBR.

In discussions between local and regional ADAs and the LBR, there arose the initiative to set up a national association against discrimination. This initiative was subsequently embraced by the Ministry of Justice, and the creation of the association was thereby made possible. Because the LBR already had responsibility for these functions nationally, it was obvious that this organisation should form the national bureau. On the 1st of January 2007, the new association came into being, and on the 23rd of April 2007, it announced its name: Art.1.

Article 1 of the Constitution of the Netherlands
"All persons in the Netherlands shall be treated equally in equal circumstances. Discrimination on the grounds of religion, belief, political opinion, race or sex or on any other grounds whatsoever shall not be permitted."

Address
Art.1
Schaatsbaan 51
3013 AR Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Telephone: 0031-(0)10- 201 02 01
Fax: 0031-(0)10- 201 02 22
Internet: www.art1.nl
E-mail