“Iceland should adopt comprehensive equal treatment legislation and set up an effective and independent national equality body to promote its implementation” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, on 10 February at the end of a two-day visit to Iceland.

The current non-discrimination provisions in Icelandic law do not protect all vulnerable groups of people to the same extent. People with disabilities, older persons, members of ethnic and religious minorities and transgender persons would benefit from stronger guarantees against discrimination. “Equal treatment legislation should cover all the relevant grounds of discrimination in all walks of life”, stressed the Commissioner. (more...)