On 4 March, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, delivered her report to the UN Human Rights Council, on the situation of human rights defenders in Ireland. Bulletin readers may remember that the UN representative visited Ireland in November 2012 where she met with a number of senior officials and human rights defenders.
The report calls on Ireland to introduce a national plan of action on human rights in Ireland and encourages the Government to ratify the UN treaties that it has signed but not yet ratified. She believes that the ratification process is particularly important in light of Ireland's recent election to the Human Rights Council.
In general, Ms Sekaggya found that human rights defenders were able to work in Ireland with relative ease. However, the report raises concerns about the specific challenges faced by “certain groups of human rights defenders in Ireland, including environmental rights activists, defenders working on sexual and reproductive rights, those working for the rights of Travellers, whistle-blowers and others reporting wrongdoing, and asylum seekers and refugees working for the rights of their communities”.
On those who work promoting the rights of Travellers, the Special Rapporteur noted the slow pace at which programmes and strategies concerning the community are implemented. Ms Sekaggya called for the public acknowledgement of the importance of the role and work of those defending the rights of Travellers. The report recommends that the Government implement the recommendations made by UN treaty bodies on the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic minority.
The report addresses prison related issues including over-crowing, complaints and intimidation of prisoners in St Patrick’s Institution. Ms Sekaggya called on Ireland to establish an independent and effective mechanism to receive complaints from those in prison (such as an Ombudsman) and address allegations of intimidation of those attempting to submit complaints of human rights violations.
Ms Sekaggya raises specific concerns about Irish charities law and the failure of the Charities Act to recognise the promotion of human rights as ‘a purpose that is beneficial to the community’, therefore denying human rights defenders the benefits of the Act.
Commenting on the report, Noeline Blackwell, Director General of the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC) said “Given Ireland’s position as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and in view of the country’s standing as an enduring donor and supporter of human rights defenders abroad, we support Ms Sekaggya’s recommendations to enhance the position of human rights defenders at home,”.
Click here to read the report in full
Click here to read a press release from FLAC