The voluntary organisation CORE Platform, through the financial assistance of €20,000 from the VOPS fund that was administered by the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector, has established the Malta Diversity & Inclusion Charter. This initiative aims to promote diversity and inclusion in various sectors.

Present for this launch were Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli, the Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms, Rebecca Buttigieg, and the President of CORE Platform, Helga Ellul.

The organisations that commit to this Charter will commit themselves to respecting principles of diversity and inclusion within their operations.

The Human Rights Directorate will be the first public entity to be a signatory of this Charter after pledging their support for the next three years. APS Bank will become the first local commercial entity to be a signatory to the same Charter.

Done through selection, recruitment, and procedures, some measures existing within this Charter include the implementation of Human Resources practices by which diversity is placed at the centre of operations and inclusion is emphasised with all employees. These principles shall be paired with other measures to ensure that equal opportunities are present for all employees within a signed entity.

Minister Farrugia Portelli praised this initiative while emphasizing the need to promote further inclusion in the workplace. She described how the workplace is where many people spend significant portions of their time at, and therefore, it is “crucial” to make sure that this environment is one that protects inclusion and equality through the daily culture and operations by which the company is run.

“I look forward to not only seeing more projects of this kind continue to come to life, but to see more companies and businesses of all sizes become signatories of this charter,” said the Minister.

Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said that this Charter, which was promised in the Government’s election programme, is an addition alongside the numerous initiatives in favour of inclusion and diversity that are changing certain mentalities. After encouraging signatories to do their utmost to abide by these values, Buttigieg said that being a signatory of this Charter is an opportunity for participating entities to be part of a European platform that facilitates collaboration with signatories of similar charters in other European Union Member States.

The President of the voluntary organisation CORE Platform, Helga Ellul, remarked that “Today marks an important step in our collective journey towards the creation of a more inclusive society, where every individual is valued and respected regardless of background, belief, or his abilities.”

“The Charter announced today embodies our commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our lives, whether in the workplace, in education, or in public spaces,” Ellul concluded.