The Department of Justice and Equality is coordinating the preparation of Ireland's National Report on our domestic human rights situation for the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review ("UPR") process. The UPR is one of the major innovations of the United Nations Human Rights Council (established in 2006), whereby the domestic human rights records of all 192 UN Member States are reviewed every four years. 48 countries are reviewed each year, starting in 2008, with 16 reviews taking place in each of the thrice yearly UPR Working Group sessions. Ireland's first review under the UPR process will take place on 6 October 2011.
Ireland's National Report must be submitted to the UN by Monday, 4 July 2011.
Consultation is a central part of the UPR process and vital to the drafting of the National Report. We are therefore holding a series of public consultation meetings around the country and are inviting members of the public, organisations and any interested party to come along and take part in the discussion.
The meetings will take place from 7pm-10pm at the following venues:
DUBLIN : 16 May 2011 at St. Andrew's Resource Centre, 114 Pearse Street, Dublin 2
ATHLONE: 18 May 2011 at Douglas Hyde Theatre, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone
KILKENNY: 20 May 2011 at The Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny
LIMERICK: 23 May 2011 at Room 310, Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick
SLIGO: 25 May 2011 at Room A0006, Institute of Technology Sligo, Ash Lane, Sligo
CORK: 27 May 2011 at Boole 1, University College Cork, College Road, Cork
DUBLIN: 30 May 2011 at Axis Ballymun Theatre, Main Street, Ballymun, Dublin 9
Information about the UPR process is available on the website.
For queries or further information about the public meetings and submissions to the National Report, please contact them by email to info@upr.ie, or by post to:
UPR Secretariat,
Department of Justice and Equality,
Floor 2, Bishop's Square,
Redmond's Hill,
Dublin 2.
For more information please click here.