Opening Statement by Raymond Peeler, Associate Legal Counsel, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at the U.S. Presentation to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerning the U.S. Report on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD Report)
Thank you for the opportunity to briefly describe the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s work in combating racial discrimination. I am Raymond Peeler, EEOC’s Associate Legal Counsel.
The EEOC enforces federal workplace anti-discrimination laws on bases including race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and age. These laws prohibit not only intentional discrimination, but also facially neutral conduct that creates a disparate impact, and intersectional discrimination affecting a combination of bases.
The EEOC enforces these laws by investigating charges from the public, facilitating settlements or conciliation, litigating selected cases, and providing extensive guidance and outreach to stakeholders. We also work with state and local governments through work sharing agreements; and we oversee the federal government’s compliance with employment anti-discrimination laws.
I look forward to discussing our efforts in more detail during this presentation.
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