Reports to International Treaty Monitoring Bodies
Ireland has signed up to a range of international and regional human rights treaties and Conventions. Ireland’s human rights and equality record under these treaties and conventions is periodically reviewed by independent committees that form part of the United Nations and Council of Europe monitoring framework.
As Ireland’s national human rights and equality institution, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission actively engages with this process by providing oral and written submissions – called ‘parallel reports’ – on key challenges for the protection of human rights and equality in Ireland. These UN and Council of Europe reviews result in recommendations addressed to the Irish Government on measures that should be taken to comply with international, European and national human rights and equality law.
This section sets out recent reports to these bodies.
Reports to UN Treaty Monitoring Bodies
Ireland and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is an international human rights instrument that identifies specific economic, social and cultural rights that States have a duty to protect. Ireland signed and ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1989. In our parallel report, we express our concern about the overall trajectory of ESC rights in Ireland, despite the country’s economic development since the last periodic review in 2015. In particular, we note the State’s continuing failure to address the root causes of the enduring crises in health, housing, poverty and the cost of living with forward looking, innovative and sustainable solutions, resorting instead to short-term, emergency and temporary measures.
Ireland and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
The UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty on the human rights of women and girls, which defines discrimination against women, and lists what states need to do to end discrimination. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission prepared a parallel report to inform the List of Issues Prior to Reporting being adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in advance of its forthcoming examination of Ireland’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Ireland and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines in detail the standards that apply to the needs of children, and binds States to adhere to these standards. Ireland ratified the Convention in 1992. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission submitted a detailed report to the UN Committee on Ireland’s record under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report outlined a range of areas where the State fell short of its obligations under the Convention.
Ireland and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is an international human rights treaty that aims to protect civil and political rights. In its report to the UN Human Rights Committee, the Commission submitted over 100 recommendations, including important recommendations on policing, gender based violence and historic human rights abuses.
Ireland and the Universal Periodic Review
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States.
It provides an opportunity for States to declare how they have improved the human rights situations in their countries.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission made a submission to the Human Rights Council as part of the third cycle review of Ireland, the content for which is drawn from the Commission’s ongoing programme of research, monitoring and legal casework.
Ireland and the Convention against Torture
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission prepared a detailed report on Ireland’s record under the Convention to help inform the Committee Against Torture’s assessment of Ireland’s performance on combating torture and ill treatment, providing recommendations regarding issues of concern. This report was submitted to the Committee in advance of the State examination.
Reports to European Bodies
Ireland’s Actions Against Trafficking in Human Beings
The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) is the first instrument in Europe to set legally binding standards specifically to
prevent gender-based violence, protect victims of violence and punish perpetrators. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) in October 2021.
Engagement with International Networks
The Commission’s also engages and coordinates with three important international networks:
- GANHRI, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions
- ENNHRI, the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions
- Equinet, the European Network of Equality Bodies.