The Human Rights Directorate has also developed
and launched several National Strategy and Policy Documents namely:
In October 2021, the Government launched and began implementing the Anti-Racism Strategy 2021-2023, Malta’s first national action plan against racism and xenophobia. This comprehensive Strategy aims to confront and eliminate racism in all its forms, individual, systemic, and societal and to stimulate and support intercultural inclusion. The document comprises 22 measures on various issues including research on hate speech, law enforcement, education, employment, and housing. These measures make anti-racism and anti-discrimination both individual and collective responsibilities across all sectors of society – Government and the public sector, democratic and political institutions, the media, but also the private sector, civil society, and the general population. Outreach and awareness-raising activities will take place throughout and across all levels of society, particularly the grassroots. This Strategy is in line with the EU’s Anti-Racism Action Plan 2020-2025 and is being implemented by the Directorate’s Intercultural & Anti-Racism Unit.
In September 2018, Human Rights Directorate launched a national strategy addressing LGBTIQ equality and non-discrimination. The strategy provides an overview of the measures implemented under the first LGBTIQ Action Plan which covered the period 2015-2017. It also lays out a number of measures that government is committed to implement to ensure the enjoyment of rights by LGBTIQ persons. This is coordinated by the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Unit.
In December 2017, Human Rights Directorate launched a national strategy for the integration of migrants. This strategy envisages that all migrants in Malta, regardless of their status, are given the possibility to enter the integration process through the I Belong programme being coordinated by the Directorate’s Intercultural and Anti-Racism Unit.
In November 2017, a national strategy was launched with a view to implementing measures related to the Istanbul Convention that are not of a legislative nature but that aim to prevent violence and aid victims as appropriate. This document is the first of its kind, but it will be necessary for the Maltese Government to continue to adopt further strategies in order to meet the commitments outlined in the Act. The monitoring of the implementation of this strategy has shifted to the Commission on Gender-based Violence and Domestic Violence.