UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders reports on Ireland

Published: Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders delivered her reports on Ireland and National Human Rights Institutions to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 4th March 2013.

Report on Ireland
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms Margaret Sekaggya, conducted an official visit to Ireland from 19 to 23 November 2012, during which she met with senior officials and human rights defenders. She delivered her report on Ireland to the UN Rights Council in Geneva on 4th March.  In the report, the Special Rapporteur considers the legal and institutional framework in Ireland for the promotion and protection of human rights, paying particular attention to the situation of the national human rights institution and the initiatives taken by Ireland for the protection of human rights defenders through foreign policy and development aid.
Acknowledging that the environment in Ireland is conducive to the defence and promotion of human rights, the Special Rapporteur analyses 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 right of Travellers, whistle-blowers and others reporting wrongdoing, and asylum seekers and refugees working for the rights of their communities. She also briefly highlights other challenges affecting defenders in the country.
The report concludes with recommendations for all relevant stakeholders. 

Read the Report on Ireland

Report on National Human Rights Institutions
Ms Sekaggyia also deliverd her report on National Human Rights Institutions to the UN Human Rights Council. In the report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 7/8 and 16/5, the Special Rapporteur provides an account of her activities during the reporting year and draws the attention of Member States to the 252 communications sent under the mandate during the past year.
The main focus of the report is the role of national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights, highlighting the fact that they can be considered as human rights defenders. The Special Rapporteur elaborates on the potential role national institutions can play in the protection of human rights defenders. She outlines a number of measures currently in practice in institutions in various Member States which could be replicated in other contexts. She also points to a number of areas where national institutions need strengthening in order to effectively protect human rights defenders. The Special Rapporteur provides her conclusions and recommendations.

Read  the  Report on National Human Rights Institutions

The Irish Human Rights commission welcomed her report in its response.