Policy Manifesto

NICVA publishes a policy manifesto from the sector every three years to emphasise the policy priorities of the voluntary and community sector.

NICVA began the process of developing the 2006–2009 Policy Manifesto for the voluntary and community sector in April 2006.  This was a long process, resulting in a number of recommendations, which include:

• Ensure that high quality, affordable, age appropriate and accessible childcare is available to all children in Northern Ireland regardless of their age or where they live. (Women)
• Develop integrated stakeholder neighbourhood plans in local areas which can integrate into a wider community plan. (Urban regeneration)
• Put in place a new ambitious target which ensures that 80% of all households in Northern Ireland live within ten minutes of a public transport stop. (Transport)
• Review how the allocation of resources using the Noble Index of Deprivation is made and ensure a complementary measure that takes account of the rural assets is developed. (Rural development)
• Ensure political parties designate spokespeople on race equality and develop action plans to tackle racism, including institutional racism, based on the vision, principles and shared aims of the racial equality strategy. (Race/ethnicity)
• The new community planning mechanisms to be introduced under the Review of Public Administration should be obliged to demonstrate how each plan will combat poverty. An obligation to do this should be included in the statutory guidance. (Poverty)
• Resource and deliver a targeted education programme to support key health and social care professionals to identify and appropriately respond to issues of elder abuse in care settings and in the community. (Older people)
• Develop a Men’s Health Strategy for Northern Ireland similar to the process followed in the Republic of Ireland. (Men)
• Commit to legislating for a Bill of Rights, including socio-economic rights, substantive equality and enforcement provisions. This must include facilitating the Roundtable on the Bill of Rights to encourage agreement between political parties, the voluntary and community sector and other social partners and encouraging all political parties to engage actively in the Bill of Rights process. (Human rights)

Download a copy of the Policy Manifesto below.

The Vital Links project is part-financed by the European Union's European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE III) managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. The Special EU Programmes Body is the Managing Authority for the European Union's PEACE III Programme.