Alliance Highlights Double Standards on Human Rights and Equality

PRESS RELEASE:

On International Human Rights Day (10 December 2008), the Equality & Rights Alliance (ERA) has highlighted the Government’s “double standards” on human rights and equality.

A delegation of the Alliance, the coalition representing 71 civil society organisations, appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Law Reform at 2.15 p.m. today.

Speaking on behalf of ERA, Mark Kelly (Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties) emphasised that Ireland had been one of the sponsors of a recent United Nations General Assembly resolution calling upon Governments to strengthen national human rights institutions (UN Document A/c.3/63/L.23, 30 October 2008).

“It seems that, while attempting to burnish its human rights reputation abroad, and lecture others on their human rights performance, the Government is intent on dismantling our human rights institutions at home. If budget cuts of 43% to the Equality Authority and 24% to the Irish Human Rights Commission go ahead, neither of these bodies will be able to run a viable programme of activities in 2009″ he said.

“This would appear to be a concerted attempt to muzzle bodies that were created to hold the Government to account, and is clear evidence of double standards where the implementation of human rights and equality is concerned. We are calling on politicians of principle from all political parties to resist these moves”, Mr Kelly added.

The ERA delegation also called upon the Oireachtas to restore human rights as an express charitable purpose in the Charities Bill currently before the Seanad.

Ironically, the Alliance’s appearance before the Oireachtas comes on International Human Rights Day (which, this year, is also the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders).

Do the Rights Thing!

Equality and Rights Alliance asks politicians of principle from all political parties to call for the Government to:

• allow the Public Service Review Group to assess publicly and objectively the finances, staff performances and services provided by The Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission.

• reverse the budget cuts until the Review Group has completed its work.

• put the brakes on the decentralization of The Equality Authority until the Review Group has completed its work.

• make the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission directly accountable to the Oireachtas and fully independent from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, as required by international law.

• include human rights as an express charitable purpose in the Charities Bill.

Tags: Human Rights and Equality, Press Release
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