A group tasked with eliminating racism in Bermuda supports Government's decision to dissolve the Commission for Racial Equality (CURE).

Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) released a statement after Culture Minister Neletha Butterfield announced last week that CURE would be taken over by the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

The statement said: "CURB supports the urgent need for reform of the Human Rights Act and we are looking forward to reviewing the proposed legislation and working with the Human Rights Commission to ensure that the new legislation provides the necessary framework to address the important issues of systemic racism and racial justice in a structural way.

"CURB sees the melding of CURE and the HRC into one entity as being progressive, providing a more holistic approach to the systemic problems that continue to exist in our society.

"It is an opportunity for local community race relations organisations and other human rights activists groups to work collaboratively together with the HRC. Discussion should not revolve around the loss of CURE but about the work to be done, and as long as CURE's mandate is continued, and the expertise of the staff is retained, where the office is located or what the organisation is called becomes secondary.

"CURB looks forward to working collaboratively with the Human Rights Commission as they move to bringing the Commission, and the Human Rights legislation, into the 21st century."

Meanwhile, the United Bermuda Party (UBP) questioned Government's intent with the move.

UBP Leader Kim Swan said: "All we know is that it intends to roll the functions of CURE into the [HRC], which is itself to be reformed.

"We will keep an eye on this work keeping in mind the Government has spent more time and effort politicising race relations than improving them.

"Whatever the result, this is a good opportunity to remind people, and especially the Government, that the best way to deal with historic inequities is to give our children the best possible education."