Bulletin readers may recall that Ireland's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) took place in Geneva, Switzerland on 6 October 2011 - following months of consultation and preparation by non-governmental organisations around Ireland.
During the hearing, Mr Alan Shatter TD (Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality) defended Ireland's human rights record while 49 delegations questioned the minister and made recommendations to him. The delegations put forward questions to the Minister on human rights issues including abortion, children's rights, prisoner violence and overcrowding and Travellers' rights.
On the topic of the Irish naturalisation process and the lengthy delays being currently experienced by many applications, Mr Shatter committed to having applications processed within a 6 month period. He also added that the implementation of citizenship ceremonies demonstrated a positive attribute to welcoming new citizens.
The Minister also outlined the Irish government's commitments for the following year, including a referendum on children's rights and the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. However, the Minister was reticent on other issues, and did not substantiate a timeline for the implementation of the Optional Protocol under the UN Convention against Torture.
Mark Kelly (Director of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties) commented on the Outcome Report and said, "The UPR process has provided clear evidence of the commitment of the new Government to improve Ireland's human rights performance. It has also confirmed that, globally, Ireland remains the odd-one-out where providing clarity around abortion procedures is concerned. Implementation of the 2010 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on this subject is a legally binding obligation on Ireland and it would be politically prudent for the Government to act swiftly to discharge that obligation. It would be a shame if the Government's diligent UPR performance were to be marred by its intransigence on this issue."
Click here to read the UN's Outcome Report on Ireland's UPR - which notes that out of a total of 126 recommendations the Government has publically accepted 62 recommendations and has committed to considering another 49 recommendations by the next UN Human Rights Council session in March 2012.
Ireland's UPR report was adopted by the government on Monday 10 October 2011. Click here to read the press release issued by the Your Rights Right Now coalition of non-governmental organizations upon the adoption.