The Joint Committee of the Northern Ireland and Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) have issued a joint statement calling for the establishment of a unified charter of rights for the island of Ireland. The Committee, originally established by the Good Friday Agreement, consider such a charter justifiable on the grounds that 'there is a commonality of rights protected in both jurisdictions and that an equivalence of human rights protections, if achieved, could assist in underpinning the peace process in both jurisdictions'.
Human Rights law North and South is the central focus of the inaugural PILA & PILS Project Conference, to be held at Croke Park on 11 November 2011. The conference will feature Liberty's Shami Chakrabarti as keynote speaker.
Meanwhile the Irish government submitted its first report to the United Nations under the Universal Periodic Review Process (UPR) on 4 July 2011.
In its press release the Irish Government said that seven public meetings were held around the country and 120 submissions were received. Click here to read the submission by the Free Legal Advice Centres, which includes mention of civil legal aid, social welfare and social protection, and the effect of the Lydia Foy case.
Finally, the Irish Human Rights Commission has urged the Irish Government to take 15 steps to advance human rights protection before examination under the Universal Periodic Review, including measures in relation to: non-retrogression on economic policies; housing needs; alternatives to custody; Direct Provision for asylum-seekers; recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group.