Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission publish Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has published its Submission to the UN Human Rights Council for the Second Universal Periodic Review Cycle for Ireland.
Ireland was last reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review cycle in 2011, and will be reviewed again in spring 2016.
The Submission from IHREC will help inform the UN Human Rights Council’s review and formal recommendations on how Ireland can better protect human rights.
Under the UPR process, States are interviewed by other UN countries, on their human rights record across a broad range of human rights.
These rights include civil and political rights such as the right to liberty, freedom of speech, freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment; as well as economic, social and cultural rights such as the right to health, education and social security.
The Commission has made 36 recommendations in its Submission aimed at addressing human rights shortfalls, on areas such as Constitutional reform; the rights of persons with disabilities; racial discrimination; domestic violence; Direct Provision and asylum seekers rights; the right to reproductive health; Travellers’ rights; prisoner’s rights and affordable housing.
As the national human rights institution, the Commission’s role in the UPR review is to provide information and to advise the UN Human Rights Council ahead of its examination of Ireland.
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For further information please contact Niamh Connolly/Fidelma Joyce on IHREC 01 8589601/ 087 4399022, or email pressoffice@ihrec.ie Twitter: follow us @_ihrec
Note for Editors:
- The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) was established by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. The Commission has a statutory remit to protect and promote human rights and equality in the State, to promote a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding and to promote understanding and awareness of the importance of human rights and equality. The IHREC is tasked with reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of law, policy and practice relating to the protection of human rights and equality and with making recommendations to Government on measures to strengthen, protect and uphold human rights and equality accordingly. Visit our website: www.ihrec.ie
- The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a process which involves a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations. The UPR was created through the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 by resolution 60/251, which established the Human Rights Council itself. It is a cooperative process which, by October 2011, has reviewed the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States.
Visit the Official UN website: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx