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The government has begun the search for a chairman and 14 commissioners to lead the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR).

The body, which will bring together the work of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission, is a key plank of the Equality Act, which received Royal Assent last month.

The commissioners will set the overall direction and decide priorities for the CEHR, and also serve as ambassadors for the commission, forging working relationships across government, the legal system, voluntary agencies and communities.

Meg Munn, deputy minister for women and equality, said: "For the commission to really succeed and serve the people it represents, it is vital that applicants for the commissioners jobs come from a variety of backgrounds and have first-hand experience of discrimination.

"I want to get the best people for the job, who can use their experiences to ensure the CEHR makes a real difference to people in communities all over the UK."

Recruitment firm Rockpools has been signed up to recruit candidates. Advertisements were placed in national newspapers and sector-specific publications for the first time yesterday (Sunday).