News Archive

“Legal Accountability in the War in Afghanistan: An Australian Perspective”    November 2020 saw the publication of the Brereton Report into disturbing allegations of war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. One year on, this talk will examine Australia’s response to the report to date as well as ongoing work by survivors and advocates to secure some accountability for crimes committed during the conflict.    with  Fiona Nelson  (Senior Legal Advisor, Australian Centre for International Justice)    Date: 24th November 2021 Time: 10 am (Irish Standard Time)    Join Zoom Meeting   Speaker Bio: Prior to moving to Australia Fiona worked at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, a Berlin-based NGO that uses strategic litigation to challenge human rights abuses. Her focus was on accountability for torture and war crimes committed in the context of counterterrorism operations and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She worked on legal actions concerning states’ complicity in unlawful drone strikes in Yemen and torture in Guantanamo and CIA blacksites as well as the abuse of detainees during the Iraq War. She has also worked as a researcher in international law at the University of Potsdam. She studied Law and German at Trinity College Dublin and holds a Master of Laws from Humboldt University Berlin, where she wrote her thesis on the role of UK government lawyers in the lead-up to the Iraq War. 

‘Contemporary Challenges in International Criminal Justice’ with Professor Guénaël MettrauxJudge, Kosovo Specialist Chambers Adjunct Professor, Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway  Time: 01:00 – 02:00 PM (Irish Standard Time)Date: 28th September 2021Join Zoom Meeting  Speaker Bio Prof. Guénaël Mettraux is a Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. Over the past decade, he has represented several high-ranking military and civilian leaders accused of international crimes, including General Sefer Halilović (former Commander of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ljube Boškoski (former Minister of Interior of the Republic of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), General Ante Gotovina (General in the Croatian Army) and Assad Hassan Sabra (Special Tribunal for Lebanon – Rafik Hariri assassination). He also acts as a consultant before the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Dr Mettraux is a Professor of Law at Dickinson Law School, PennState, a guest lecturer at SciencePo, Paris, and a guest lecturer at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He has published extensively in the field of international criminal law. His scholarly works include three books: "International Crimes and the ad hoc Tribunals (OUP, 2005), "Perspectives on the Nuremberg Trial" (OUP, 2008) and "The Law of Command Responsibility" (OUP, 2009).  

Today sees the publication of Ireland and the Magdalene Laundries: A Campaign for Justice (Bloomsbury 2021), co-authored by Dr Maeve O’Rourke of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway and Claire McGettrick (IRC postgraduate research scholar, UCD), Assoc. Prof. Katherine O’Donnell (School of Philosophy, UCD), Assoc. Prof. James M Smith (English Department, Boston College) and Mari Steed (co-founder, Justice for Magdalenes Research & Adoption Rights Alliance). The authors are members of the voluntary Justice for Magdalenes Research group.  The book is accompanied by an online archive of its sources, available at www.jfmresearch.com/bookarchive/. Publication was supported by the NUI Galway Moore Institute Grant-in-Aid of Publication Fund. All royalties will be donated to Empowering People in Care (EPIC).  The writing of Ireland and the Magdalene Laundries was prompted by survivors’ expression of their desire that the truth of their experiences is told, that the history of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries is taught in schools and colleges, and that what they and the women who are now deceased have suffered is never allowed to happen again.  The book provides a detailed account of life in the Magdalene institutions through the use of survivor testimony and numerous other sources. It chronicles and analyses the strategies of the voluntary ‘Justice for Magdalenes’ campaign which contributed to achieving the State’s apology and establishment of a ‘redress’ scheme in 2013. Extending to the present-day, the book addresses the deep-seated culture and practices within numerous arms of the State that have led to continuing human rights abuses towards survivors and relatives of the deceased. In particular, the book critiques the State’s methods of investigation, its approaches to providing ‘redress’, and its resistance to truth-telling and to the disclosure of records. The book concludes by considering the need for ‘transformative’ reparations, transitional justice, and a new approach to protecting constitutional and human rights as the Irish State enters its second century of independence.  Reviews of Ireland and the Magdalene Laundries: A Campaign for Justice include:   This brave book is an archive of an unfinished movement, a survey of the continuing harms of so-called 'historical abuse', and a set of demands for law reform and political change. In places, it is also a love letter to those who survived Ireland's Magdalene laundries. In devastating detail, it shows how Irish politicians, professionals and members of religious orders have resisted demands that these women be recognised as victims of human rights abuse. More than a description of Justice for Magdalenes' campaigning and research, it is an important challenge to official histories and excuses that stubbornly carry undeserved weight in Irish public discourse.   Máiréad Enright, University of Birmingham  The campaign for justice for the girls and women incarcerated in Magdalene laundries is one of the greatest acts of truth-telling in the recent history of Ireland. The walls of institutional denial have had to be demolished slowly and painfully, brick by brick. The experiences of those most involved in this task, so vividly detailed in this vital book, tell us so much, not just about a history that was shamefully obscured, but about the imperative for every society to really know itself. In helping the survivors to reclaim their dignity, this indispensable book also helps the rest of us to reclaim the true meaning of shared citizenship and common humanity.  Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times Journalist and Orwell Prize winner  It is impossible to describe the toxic fog of shame, distortion and indifference these writers worked through so the truth of the Magdalen Laundries could be seen in a proper light. No one wanted to know. They are my heroes.  Anne Enright, Author and winner of the 2007 Booker Prize 

    ‘Dates for your Diary’ AY 2021  20th Sept Title: International Human Rights Norms and Minority Languages: recent developments Speakers: Dr Janos Fiala, School of Law, NUI Galway, Dr Fernand de Varennes, Adjunct Professor at the ICHR and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Time: 1pm to 2pm Organised by: Dr Maeve O’Rourke 22nd Sept Title: Group Rights in International Human Rights Law Speakers: Philippa Duell-Piening, PhD Candidate, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne Time: 8am to 9am (via Microsoft Teams) Organised by: Dr Anna Arstein-Kerslake Sept 28th 2021 Title: ‘Contemporary Challenges in International Criminal Justice'Speaker: Professor Guénaël Mettraux, Judge, Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Adjunct Professor, Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI GalwayTime: Tuesday 28th September, 1-2pm 15th OctTitle: International Humanitarian Law and Peace Support Operations - adapting to new norms?' Speaker: Richard Brennan, Lieutenant Colonel, Legal Officer   |   HQ 2 Brigade  Time:  2pm to 3.15Location: TBC  20th Oct Title: Right to Access Safe Abortion in Africa Speakers: Charles Ngwena, Professor of Law, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria Time: 4pm – 5pm Location: ICHR Seminar Room Organised by: Dr Anna Arstein-Kerslake 22nd Oct Title: The implications of the new UN Triple Nexus policy’.  United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) YemenDaniel Sheeran, Coordination Officer - Office of the Deputy Head of Mission (LLM in Peace Ops graduate)Time: 2pm- 3.15 pmLocation: TBCOrganised by: Prof Ray Murphy  27th Oct Title: Environmental Rights Speakers: Dr Erin O’Donnell, Early Career Research Fellow, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne Time: 8am to 9am (via Microsoft Teams) Organised by: Dr Anna Arstein-Kerslake 29th of OctTitle: The Women, Peace and Security agenda: Increasing women’s meaningful participation in UN peace operations. Speaker: Andrea WescottLocation: OnlineOrganised by: Prof Ray Murphy Bio:  Andrea is a Lead Analyst at Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Between June 2020-2021 she served as a Policy Analyst for GAC’s Peace Operations and Stabilization bureau (PSOPs) working on the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations. She possesses a B.Soc.Sc in International Studies and Modern Languages from the Univsity of Ottawa and is an alumnus of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, having graduated with an LL.M in Peace Operations, Humanitarian Law and Conflict in 2014. Following her master degree at NUIG she taught English in Spain, did a fellowship with Front line Defenders and the OHCHR, and worked for several years as a gender advisor on international development projects in Rwanda, Peru and Tanzania before joining Global Affairs Canada.  4th NovTitle: ‘Human Rights Monitoring in Practice (Ireland)’Speaker: Prof. Emily Logan, Commissioner Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and Adjunct Professor, Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway.Time: 1pm – 2 pmVenue: TBC  9th Nov Title: “The Private Side of National Security Law: The Role of Private Actors in Enforcing and Shaping National Security.” Time: TBCSpeaker: Maryam Jamshidi is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Florida, Levin College of Law where she writes and teaches in the areas of national security, public international law, the law of foreign relations, and tort law. In particular, her scholarship examines the various ways in which private law and private actors transform and are impacted by national security and international law matters.    

Teaching materials created with survivors and school teachers, pupils, activists and artists Five LLM students at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR), NUI Galway, have published educational resources designed to help secondary school teachers to address the human rights violations suffered in Ireland’s Industrial Schools, Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby institutions. In addition to being published here, the educational resources are also published on the website of the Open Heart City project (www.openheartcitydublin.ie), which aims to generate commitment to a national network of archives and memorials for public education about Ireland’s ‘historical’ institutional and gender-based abuses. The educational resources are the following: Guidebook for teachers Powerpoint presentation: general  Powerpoint presentation: Galway case study Powerpoint presentation: general plus Galway case study  Lesson script: general Lesson script: Galway case study  Lesson script: general plus Galway case study  Brochure for students Online database of further sources for independent research NUI Galway students Tomás Carlos Biggins, Helen McDonagh, Jessica Howard and Emily O'Reilly teaching at Coláiste na Coiribe, Knocknacarra, Co Galway in May 2021 (Photo credit: Sijia Shen) The ICHR Master’s students trialled their classroom materials with Transition Years in Coláiste na Coiribe, Knocknacarra, in May 2021. They were joined in class by survivor and LLM graduate of the ICHR, Mary Harney, who spoke to the Coláiste na Coiribe students about her personal experience in a Mother and Baby Home and foster care as a child, and her ongoing work for justice and memorialisation. To design the teaching materials, the LLM students—Emily O’Reilly, Jessica Howard, Helen McDonagh, Sija Shen and Tomás Biggins—worked closely with Mary Harney and with Fionna Fox, a second generation survivor and solicitor, as well as with the Clann Project and with a number of survivors, educators, secondary school students, artists and activists. The students also researched education and memorialisation efforts in other countries including Germany, Canada and Australia and spoke with educators abroad. “We must teach children the history of this dark chapter in Ireland and keep that memory alive so that it never happens again” (Mary Harney) The LLM students explain the purpose and contents of their lesson plan and resources as follows: By listening to survivors we realised the importance of memorialising the abuses which occurred in these institutions to ensure that they do not happen again. Research on memorialisation efforts in Canada, Australia and Germany, highlights that education plays a vital role in preserving history and preventing human rights violations.Given the important role that education plays in preserving the historical record and preventing human rights violations, we believe that survivors’ testimonies needed to be taught in Irish classrooms today. Survivors of Ireland’s institutions are growing older, and they should not have to wait for the Department of Education to change the Leaving Certificate History syllabus to have their voices heard in classrooms. As such, we decided to develop a lesson plan aimed at Transition Year students. This pilot programme, which was developed in collaboration with the Clann Project, survivors, educators and activists, aims to amplify the voices of survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes and Industrial Schools and highlight the State’s continuing failure to provide comprehensive redress. The lesson plan, entitled ‘Ireland’s Dark History’, is a two-hour long lesson which aims to teach Transition Year students about the human rights violations which occurred in Ireland’s institutions throughout the twentieth century, and which continue today. It is thus centred on the idea of transitional justice and the importance of teaching young people about Ireland’s dark history in order to ensure non-recurrence. It covers the Mother and Baby Homes, the Industrial Schools and the Magdalene Laundries as well as the issues of illegal adoptions and unmarked graves. The lesson is taught through a human rights lens to ensure that people are aware of the human rights violations and the legal obligations which the Irish State has so-far failed to meet. The programme was taught to students for the first time on the 6th of May 2021 in Coláiste na Coiribe. The authors of the programme believe that this event provided invaluable experience and feedback. They have since improved the lesson plan so that is it ready to be published online on www.openheartcitydublin.ie. Once launched online, the lesson plan will be publicly available and free to download. It will also be accompanied by a guidebook for teachers on transitional justice and education, a PowerPoint presentation and a script which will allow any teacher in any classroom to direct the lesson themselves. Also available on the Open Heart City website will be an archive containing additional resources including documentaries, music and newspaper articles as well as a Galway-specific lesson plan which aims to emphasise the ubiquitous nature of these institutions across Ireland. Survivors of institutional abuse, academics, journalists, organisations such as Adoption Rights Alliance, Justice for Magdalenes, the Clann Project and many more have been fighting tirelessly to raise awareness of the human rights abuses which occurred in Irish institutions during the twentieth century. As authors of this pilot programme we endeavour to assist their cause. We hope that Coláiste na Coiribe will be joined by many other schools across the country in teaching students about this topic and helping to preserve survivors' testimonies.  “It is our hope that in the future the Irish State will incorporate historical abuses into the Irish Leaving Certificate Curriculum. Until then our pilot programme is available to teachers all over Ireland” (Emily O’Reilly, LLM student) NUI Galway students Helen McDonagh, Jessica Howard, Emily O'Reilly, Mary Harney, Tomás Carlos Biggins and Sijia Shen at Coláiste na Coiribe in May 2021 (Photo credit: Sijia Shen) Acknowledgements: This project was carried out as part of the Human Rights Law Clinic at the ICHR, which is directed by Dr Maeve O’Rourke. The Clinic introduces students to theories and tools of ‘movement lawyering’, also known as ‘rebellious lawyering’, and enables them to collaborate with grassroots movements for social change. Many thanks are due to the following people in particular who assisted greatly with the LLM students’ work: Fionna Fox, Community Organiser, Solicitor, Second Generation Survivor Mary Harney, BA, MA, Hon. MPhil, LLM, Community Organiser, Survivor Dr. Sarah‌ ‌Anne‌ ‌Buckley‌ , PHD, Lecturer in History NUI Galway Marilou Charron, MA, History Teacher, QC Canada Cormac‌ ‌Davey‌ , Advisor, Professional Development Service for Teachers Joshua Dolman, MA, Civics and Political Science Teacher, ON, Canada Beth Doherty, Leaving Certificate Student Rowan Hickie, BA, LLB, LLM Candidate at the ICHR Kelly‌ ‌Ledoux‌ ‌–‌ ‌MA, JD, LLM Melanie‌ ‌Lynch‌, Activist, Entrepreneur, Director of Herstory – www.herstory.ie Emily Smith, MA, Civics and Politics Teacher, ON, Canada Grace‌ Tierney, Development and Engagement Officer, Irish Council for Civil Liberties Ciarán Ó Colleráin, Múinteoir, Comhordaitheoir Idirbhliain, Coláiste an Coirbie, Gaillimh

On Monday 5 July 2021, five LLM researchers at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR), NUI Galway, presented the Minister for Justice with a Submission entitled ‘Introducing Timelines into the Irish International Protection System: A Path Towards Accountability and Transparency.’ The Submission advocates the insertion of statutory time limits for decision-making into the International Protection Act 2015: the legislation which governs Ireland’s international protection system. A number of further recommendations, summarised below, are also included in the Submission. The research was carried out in collaboration with Evgeny Shtorn, sociologist, activist and representative of the Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland (MASI), as part of the work of the Human Rights Law Clinic at the ICHR.  The Submission to the Minister for Justice: Introducing Timelines into the Irish International Protection System An infographic summarising the Submission’s key recommendations: Asylum Seeker Infographic Further posters that accompany the Submission: Asylum Seeker Poster An Irish Times report on the Submission is here.  The Submission contains a foreword by Siobhán Mullally, Established Professor of Human Rights Law at NUI Galway, Director of the ICHR, and the current United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children. Mullally states: “Clear, precise recommendations are set out here, identifying the steps needed to move from policy reports and recommendations to effective implementation.”    An additional foreword is provided by Mohammad Shafiq, University of Sanctuary scholar and LLM candidate at the ICHR.  As the partner community organiser, Evgeny Shtorn, sociologist, activist and representative of the Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland (MASI), states:   Last year we were working with the students of ICHR on the rights of the children in direct provision. That was of huge concern, but it wasn't affecting me directly as I am not a parent myself. This year we approached the issue of time-frames, which is something that affects absolutely everyone in the asylum process, and leaves an unbearable trace in our memories. No one will be able to give me back that time. It needs to be addressed as soon as possible, and I'm so glad we have built this strong and robust argument that will be hard to ignore.  An original poem by Evgeny Shtorn is also featured in the LLM researchers’ Submission.  The Submission, Introducing Timelines to the Irish International Protection System: A Path Towards Accountability and Transparency, builds upon recent developments concerning the international protection system in Ireland. Despite the welcome reforms that are envisaged by the White Paper to end Direct Provision, the researchers draw attention to the amount of time that an international protection applicant waits for a final decision and is left in a state of uncertainty and limbo. Currently, the median processing time for a first instance decision from the International Protection Office is 17.6 months. The median time for a decision on an appeal is a further 9 months. The students draw upon literature concerning the detrimental effects of such uncertain and prolonged waiting on the wellbeing of persons in similar settings. In light of this, they find that the current situation is not compatible with Ireland’s obligations under international human rights law, European Union law, or domestic law.   The Submission further draws attention to the lack of communication and transparency, the culture of distrust and the backlog of applications which inhibit the fairness and humanness of the Irish international protection system. Overall, it is the authors’ objective to advocate for specific time limits to be incorporated into the International Protection Act for each phase of the international protection procedure, and for these to be implemented in conjunction with a number of safeguards which ensure the quality of the procedure and that the rights of protection applicants are upheld.  The Submission makes the following recommendations:  Anyone who has been in the system for longer than two years (from the date when the time limits are implemented) should be granted permission to remain without prejudice to their ongoing protection application.  Ireland should opt-in to the Recast Asylum Procedures Directive (Directive 2013/32/EU) and ensure its timely transposition into national law.  Ireland should legislate for time limits in the international protection procedure. Drawing from EU standards and previous literature, the authors advocate for a statutory time limit of 4 months for Phase One Accommodation, 6 months for the first instance decision by the International Protection Office, 6 months for the decision by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, and one month for the granting of the Ministerial Decision.     An online portal which includes an interactive timeline, in which an asylum seeker can see the progress of their application, and have direct access to relevant information should be created.  To ensure the quality of the decision-making process, an auditing mechanism, accreditation services for interpreters, increased resourcing of the Legal Aid Board, and vulnerability assessments for special reception and procedural needs, should be guaranteed.  The Submission was authored by Sarah Donnelly, Anna Ledwith, Amanda Morrison, Emma-Louise Steiner and Semiha Elif Yararbaş, under the supervision of Dr. Maeve O’Rourke and Cillian Bracken BL, as part of the Human Rights Law Clinic at the ICHR. The Clinic offers students an insight into the concept of ‘movement lawyering' by giving them the opportunity to work with a community-based organization that strives for social change. The Submission was produced with the helpful insight and guidance of Evgeny Shtorn of MASI.      

   View  Meeting Recording:  https://nuigalway-ie.zoom.us/rec/share/InqnPgyCvWyTKz0EZqHm5fC51H13jz5i74a-_WOp4Ng-xW372E8pvWhZspQw79lX.yS3KY7wUhbA13EaK  Access Passcode: 28MayICHR! ‘Ireland's role on  the international climate agenda at the Security Council and beyond’   With   DR SINEAD WALSH Ireland’s Climate Envoy   Time: 1 pm- 2 pm Date: 28 May 2021   Speaker’s Bio  Dr Sinead Walsh is Ireland’s Climate Envoy since 2020. Prior to this she served as the EU Ambassador to South Sudan. She has worked for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs since 2009. She was a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative in 2016/17. Prior to this, she served as the Ambassador of Ireland to Sierra Leone and Liberia and the Head of Irish Aid in the two countries, based in Freetown from 2011 to 2016. She has also worked in DFA HQ roles on multi-lateral organisations, international financial institutions and civil society engagement.  Before joining the government, Sinead spent ten years in the NGO sector, predominantly with Concern Worldwide, working in India, Pakistan, Rwanda and South Sudan, as well as in a global advocacy role. She has a BA from Harvard University, an MSc in Development Studies from University College Dublin and a PhD in Social Policy from the London School of Economics. She is the co-author of Getting to Zero: A Doctor and A Diplomat on the Ebola Frontline, published by Zed Books in 2018.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

ESRANUKI Summer Workshop 18 June 2021, 09.00 to 13.30   The Economic and Social Rights Academic Network United Kingdom and Ireland (ESRANUKI) Summer Workshop 2021 takes place on 18 June 2021 from 09.00 to 13.30. The event is co-hosted with the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway. The workshop, attendance which is limited to ESRANUKI members, acts as a key forum for analysing , reflecting and constructive critiquing of ‘works in progress’ from ESRANUKI members. This is the 19th Workshop since ESRANUKI’s founding in March 2011. Check out the following link for more information: https://esranuki.wordpress.com/2021/06/02/esranuki-summer-workshop-18-june-2021-09-00-to-13-30/           Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

    Congratulations to our PhD student Jurgita Bukauskaitei on her successful viva that took place on Monday 14th June 2021: "Conceptualising domestic violence against women: Between gender-based universal human rights duty and gender-blind national responses“ We wish you the best of luck from all in the Irish Centre of Human Rights, NUI, Galway   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Summer School on the International Criminal Court National University of Ireland Galway 8-11 June 2021 The annual International Criminal Court Summer School at the Irish Centre for Human Rights takes place from 8-11 June 2021. This is the premier summer school specialising on the International Criminal Court in which participants follow a series of intensive lectures and events over several days. The lectures are given by leading academics on the subject as well as by legal professionals, including those working at the International Criminal Court. The interactive and stimulating course is particularly suited to postgraduate students, legal professionals, scholars and those working for non-governmental and intergovernmental organisation. Participants will gain knowledge of the Court’s structures and operations, its jurisdiction and applicable laws. Lectures will address the core crimes, including of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression, the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction, defences, procedure and evidence and the participation of victims in proceedings. Speakers include:    Prof William Schabas (Middlesex University) Prof Siobhán Mullally (Irish Centre for Human Rights) Dr Fabricio Guariglia (Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court)  Prof Ray Murphy  (Irish Centre for Human Rights) Dr Rod Rastan (Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court) Kate Gibson (Defence Counsel, International Criminal Court/Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals)  Prof Shane Darcy (Irish Centre for Human Rights); Prof Guénaël Mettraux (Judge, Kosovo Specialist Chambers) Dr Noelle Quenivet (University of the West of England) Nada Kiswanson (Independent Victims Counsel at the International Criminal Court) Dr James Nyawo (School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies, Kenyatta University) Maria Elena Vignoli (Human Rights Watch)  This year’s Summer School will take place online in line with the restrictions associated with Covid-19. Daily sessions will run live from 9:30am until 3:30pm. The registration fee is €75 (with an early bird offer of €65 until 1 April). The full programme and registration is available at: https://nuiggalwayccmichr.clr.events.  Refunds are available for cancelled bookings but subject to a processing fee of €15 For updates you follow us on twitter @iccsummerschool     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights      

LLM researchers at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Reshma Das, Emma Kelly and Simon Seitz, have published an analysis - EU Mercosur Human Rights Analysis May 2021 - of the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement concluding that the agreement should not be ratified in its current form. This research was carried out as part of the Human Rights Law Clinic module at the ICHR, which introduces students to ‘movement lawyering’ and enables them to contribute their skills to community-based movements for social change. Based on their academic research report and a podcast series co-presented with environmentalist Saoirse McHugh interviewing experts in affected sectors, the students state that the EU-Mercosur deal is likely to drastically increase deforestation, carbon emissions and the abuse of indigenous people.  The students' report points out the harm to human rights from increased use of pesticides in Mercosur countries which are not licenced for use in the EU. They highlight that the lack of central participation by indigenous peoples in the negotiation of the trade deal breaches the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They note that Brazil has not ratified the 1948 International Labour Organisation Convention on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and that the EU-Mercosur trade deal does not contain binding requirements to respect workers’ rights.   Crucially, the students highlight that the EU-Mercosur trade agreement has no mechanism to legally enforce compliance with the Paris Agreement. In addition, the researchers claim, EU-Mercosur is inconsistent with the European Green Deal, which commits the EU to climate neutrality by 2050. The European Green Deal further says that no group or region should be put at a disadvantage through economic development. Emma Kelly, one of the report’s authors, says: “We do not want to hear more pledges and commitments. International trade agreements must include legally binding mechanisms to make sure that their international environmental and human rights law obligations are met. The current proposal is not good enough and we are calling on all EU Member States to refrain from approving this agreement in its current form.”   Simon Seitz, another of the report’s authors, says: “At an extremely important time for States to meet their Paris Agreement commitments, we find that EU-Mercosur will lead to further deforestation of the precious Amazon rainforest as well as other important eco-systems. Our report highlights devastating human rights violations of indigenous communities living in the Amazon basin who are being killed and whose land has been taken away for industrial farming. We are asking the question: can this be allowed in the name of short-term economic gain?”  Saoirse McHugh, one of the podcast’s co-presenters states "It has been great to work alongside the fantastic Human Rights Clinic and speak to experts from different sectors and investigate this agreement from various angles. It really brought to light how bad this deal is from a human rights and environmental perspective. Trade deals have a massive shaping influence on the planet and can no longer solely take economic effects into account. This short podcast series and research report produced by Simon,Emmaand Reshma touches on some of the most unsustainable elements of the trade deal and presents a compelling case that the EU-Mercusor trade deal is woefully inadequate for our time and needs to be rejected as it stands." The report, entitled The EU-Mercosur Agreement: A Human Rights Analysis, is available here: EU Mercosur Human Rights Analysis May 2021  The accompanying podcast series, featuring interviews with Dr. Laura Kehoe, a conservation scientist; Helmut Scholz, an M.E.P with the German ‘Die Linke’ party; Juliana, a member of the Brazilian Left Front; and Gerry Loftus, an Irish beef farmer, are available on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher as episodes of The Human Rights Podcast from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway. Visit the Soundcloud site here: https://soundcloud.com/user-418068292 

Over the last few years, period poverty and menstrual justice have been highlighted as human rights issues by various non-governmental organizations, media outlets, health institutions and by some policymakers. Although greatly overlooked by states, period poverty affects many trans and non-binary persons, women, and girls, denying them access to safe/hygienic sanitary products and the right to manage their periods with dignity. Period poverty is further exacerbated by societal stigma, shame, and inequality. Adopting a human rights framework to understand and address period poverty helps us to look beyond mere access to and distribution of period products and to also consider its interconnectedness to the right to education, work, privacy, and dignity. The inclusion of a human rights perspective in all discussions of period poverty will hopefully enable members of the public to see the right to Menstrual Hygiene Management as an issue of state responsibility and not something to be addressed solely through charity and donations.   On Thursday 27thMay 2021,LLM researchers at the ICHR, Amanie Issa, Chinyere Constance Obinna and Oluwatoyosi Ayodele, will launch their research report which analyses the rights violations arising from period poverty in Ireland and makes recommendations to Government. The webinar, titled ‘Let's Talk Periods: Understanding Period Poverty as a Human Rights Issue’, will include panellists from Plan International,Homeless Period Ireland, Any Time of the Month and The Hygiene Bank Galway.  In addition to launching their report, the aim of the webinar is to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and consider practical pathways for the elimination of period poverty in Ireland and globally.  Date: Thursday 27th May 2021Time: 4:00 – 5.30pm GMT (Irish time) Venue: Zoom To register for free please visit:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-talk-understanding-period-poverty-as-a-human-rights-issue-tickets-156102812715

LLM candidates Ishani Cordeiro and Prisca Chipao have launched a new blog, entitled State Implementation of International Human Rights Standards on Trafficking.   As part of the ICHR Human Rights Law Clinic, Ishani and Prisca have been working during 2020-2021 with Professor Siobhán Mullally in her role as United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in persons, especially women and children. They have undertaken research on issues ranging from implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle to the intersectional nature of trafficking in persons. They have also engaged with international and regional human rights bodies and international civil society organizations on cross-cutting issues impacting Trafficking in Persons.    Their new blog site, State Implementation of International Human Rights Standards on Trafficking, will analyse different states’ implementation of international laws and policies and efforts to prevent and combat Trafficking in Persons. Ishani and Prisca have identified four countries as jurisdictions of initial focus: Malawi, Nepal, Ethiopia and Iran.    Read the first blog posts:   Trafficking in Persons: An Introduction to International Standards (here) Malawi's efforts to prevent and combat Trafficking in Persons (here)

Report analysing the human rights impacts of fracking to be launched at a webinar at 5pm on Monday 24 May featuring affected communities in Pennsylvania, Fermanagh and Namibia Register for the webinar here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/human-rights-impacts-of-fracking-launch-of-nuig-hr-clinic-report-tickets-154392071843 Postgraduate law students at the NUIG Irish Centre for Human Rights have published a research report finding that fracking is incompatible with states’ human rights law obligations under numerous treaties. Based on their research, the students are campaigning for Ireland to sponsor a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a global ban on fracking.  Rowan Hickie, one of the authors of the report entitled International Human Rights Impacts of Fracking, said: “Ireland has the opportunity to shine a global light of hope for other countries to follow, given the climate leadership it demonstrated when it banned fracking in 2017. The Irish Government previously recognised the need for a ban on public-health, environmental and climate grounds, and we became the first country in the world to commit to withdrawing public money invested in fossil fuels in 2018.”  Michelle Drury, another of the NUI students, said: “The Irish Government is the first government worldwide to publish a policy against fracked gas imports and that policy statement expressly includes a commitment to ‘work with international partners to promote the phasing out of fracking at an international level’. We are now asking Minister Simon Coveney to sponsor a UN General Assembly Resolution that calls for a global ban on fracking. With the help of environmental, public health and legal experts in Ireland and around the world, we have drafted the wording for a General Assembly resolution and sent it to Minister Coveney to consider.”  Bridget Geoghegan, one of the report’s authors, said: “Ireland is uniquely positioned to lead the effort as the global-north sponsor of the UN resolution calling for a global ban on fracking. Ireland’s tireless efforts to ban fracking and to stop the import of fracked gas have been in recognition of the very principles which underpin our draft resolution: that is, that fracking is an inherently harmful extraction process that has global impacts no matter where it is conducted, and no amount of regulation can adequately address all the problems that fracking causes.”  Johnny McElligot from ‘Safety Before LNG’ said: “a wide variety of over 600 science, academic, grassroots, religious and NGO groups across the world have already signed up to a petition supporting Ireland proposing a call for a global ban on fracking at the United Nations. This proves that a UN call for a global ban on fracking would be very warmly received on both the national and international stage and we want Ireland to lead the way.’  The NUIG students’ report notes that a significant body of scientific evidence now exists to demonstrate that fracking is dangerous to public health, water, air, climate stability, farming, property, and economic vitality in ways that cannot be solved through regulation. This is a key conclusion of the 7th edition of the Compendium of Scientific, Medical and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking produced by the Concerned Health Professionals of New York and Physicians for Social Responsibility. The most recent Compendium of Scientific, Medical and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking also finds: “The evidence clearly demonstrates that the processes of fracking contribute substantially to anthropogenic harm, including climate change and global warming, and involve massive violations of a range of substantive and procedural human rights and the rights of nature.” The students’ 56-page report analyses the existing scientific evidence alongside caselaw and other legal standards emanating from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the European Convention on Human Rights.  The students’ report concludes that fracking is incompatible with states’ legal obligations to protect, respect and fulfil basic human rights including:  the right to life​, the right to health​, the right to water​, the right to food​, the right to housing​, the right to access to information​, the right to public participation​, the right to a safe, clean, and healthy environment, and the rights of marginalized persons & communities.  The report will be launched at a webinar at 5pm on Monday 24th May. Speakers will also include Lois Bjornson, whose community has been directly impacted by fracking activities in Pennsylvania; Dianne Little, whose community in Fermanagh risks being affected by fracking if the Department of Economy in Northern Ireland approves the current fracking application submitted by Tamboran Resources (UK) Ltd; and Ina-Maria Shikongo who will discuss the impacts of fracking in local communities in Namibia.  The webinar will also feature anti-fracking campaigner Eddie Mitchell, of Love Leitrim, John McElligott from Safety Before LNG, Professor Shane Darcy and Dr Maeve O’Rourke of the Irish Centre for Human Rights.  NOTES  The postgraduate students’ report, authored by Rowan Hickie and Bridget Geoghegan, entitled International Human Rights Impacts of Fracking, is available here: ICHR Report International Human Rights Impacts of Fracking A summary report is here: ICHR Summary Report International Human Rights Impacts of Fracking The campaign for Ireland to support a UN General Assembly Resolution to ban fracking globally can be joined here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12mir1zqXMI5TNCQzGK0HEHleSxoCWpe3t7v4jbntn2o/preview  Previous students at the Irish Centre for Human Rights have authored a legal opinion finding that a Irish legislative ban on importing fracked gas to Ireland would be compatible with EU and WTO trade law. See more here: https://www.nuigalway.ie/irish-centre-human-rights/newsevents/towards-a-statutory-prohibition-on-importing-fracked-gas.html  This work has been carried out as part of the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR), NUI Galway, under the supervision of Dr Maeve O’Rourke and Pearce Clancy. The ICHR at the School of Law, National University of Ireland Galway, is Ireland’s principal academic human rights institute. The ICHR undertakes human rights teaching, research, publications, and training, and contributes to human rights policy development nationally and internationally. 

Dear All    We are delighted to invite you to a webinar online next Monday, 24th May @ 5pm to launch a report produced by Rowan Hickie (LLM student) and Bridget Geoghegan (LLM student) which highlights the human rights implications involved in the fracking process under the supervision of Dr. Maeve O’Rourke and Pearce Clancy (PhD student) at the Human Rights Clinic at the National University of Galway, Ireland.    The webinar will provide an overview of the main findings of this report. We will also hear directly from Lois Bjornson who has been directly impacted by fracking activities in Pennsylvania and Dianne Little (from Fermanagh) who risks being affected by fracking with her local community if the Department of Economy in Northern Ireland approves the current fracking applications that have been submitted by Tamboran Resources (UK) Ltd. We will also hear from Eddie Mitchell from Love Leitrim and Michelle Drury (LLM student) about a proposal calling on Ireland to bring forward a resolution to the UN for a global ban on fracking.   To register for this event, please click the link below:  https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/human-rights-impacts-of-fracking-launch-of-nuig-hr-clinic-report-tickets-154392071843       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Colombia’s approach to the Venezuelan migrant crisis: a regularisation scheme for pragmatic, humanitarian, and human rights considerations    Welcoming Remarks Dr Stefano Angeleri, Irish Centre for Human RightsH.E. Ms Adriana Mejía Hernández, Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs of Colombia    Key Note Presentations   Mr Juan Francisco Espinosa Director of Migración Colombia (Migratory Authority of Colombia)  ‘Colombia’s experience and policy approach to managing Venezuelan migration and the implementation of the TPSV’   Dr María Teresa Palacios Sanabria Director of the Human Rights Centre at Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá ‘A human rights review of the Colombian policy for Venezuelan migrants’   Mr Bernard McCaul GOAL’s Deputy Director for Programme Design and Innovation and  Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean  ‘The role of NGOs in responding to a migration crisis: lessons learnt from the field’.    Closing remarks H.E. Ms Patricia Cortés, Ambassador of Colombia to Ireland    Time: 2 Pm (Dublin) 8 am (Bogotá) Date: Wednesday, 26th May 2021  Join Zoom Meeting   Speakers Bios:    Juan Francisco Espinosa Palacios is the General Director of Migración Colombia since January 2020. This unit is the migration and border control agency of Colombia. He has a law degree from Universidad del Rosario, a postgraduate diploma in Contract Law from the same university and studies in Finance at Universidad de los Andes.  He has served as Vice Minister of Criminal Policy and Restorative Justice; General Director of the Financial Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF); National Coordinator of the Working Group against Terrorism Financing at the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT); Head of the Legal Office of the Ministry of Finance; and member of the board of different agencies such as Findeter, Fiduprevisora and Fonade.    Dr María Teresa Palacios Sanabria (PhD Seville University) is associate professor at Universidad del Rosario (Bogota) where she directs its human rights research group. Dr Palacios has 18 years of experience in constitutional and international law, human rights, gender and migration, asylum and displacement. She has participated in many national and international projects funded by prestigious bodies (e.g., the EU, UN Entity for Gender Equality & Empowerment of Women, Organization of American States, Ibero-American Organization of Social Security & the Colombian Government) and has widely researched and published on the rights of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia (e.g.  Migración y Derechos Humanos: El caso colombiano 2014–2018 [Migration and Human Rights: The Colombian case] Eds with Dr Londoño Toro, Universidad del Rosario Publishing.   Bernard McCaul is GOAL’s Deputy Director for Programme Design and Innovation and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Mr McCaul has an Honours degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering (1993), a Master degree in Engineering Science (1995 – Use of Advanced Technology in Engineering), a Diploma in Project Management from the Institute of Engineers of Ireland (IEI, 2005), is a Chartered Member of the IEI (2008) and has a Diploma in Markets for the Poor from Springhouse for Business in Development (2016). He has 12 years post graduate experience in engineering consultancy and has managed over 30 commercial/industrial, water services and environmental engineering projects in Ireland, UK, Poland and Central America including as Design Manager for a €70M Public Private Partnership project in South Dublin. In addition, Mr McCaul has 14 years’ experience in international Aid and Development with International NGO GOAL. He was a member of GOAL’s disaster response team for Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998, El Salvador Earthquake (2001), Asian Tsunami (2004), Haiti Earthquake (2010) and a number of other emergencies in the LAC region between 2001 and 2021.  He is currently overseeing GOAL’s response the Venezuela Migrant Crisis.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

    Congratulations to our PhD student Noemi Maguliani on her successful viva that took place yesterday: Thesis Title: “Trafficked adult males, gendered constructions of vulnerability, and access to protection“We wish you the best of luck from all in the Irish Centre of Human Rights, NUI, Galway   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

    Congratulations to our PhD student Hasret Cetinkaya on her successful viva that took place last week: “Rethinking ‘Honour’: Human Rights, Namûs and the Self”.We wish you all the best in your future endeavours!   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

PRESS RELEASE: 05 May 2021 Breaking the Silence: NUI Galway Students to Launch Pilot Programme on Ireland’s Dark History  On Thursday 6th of May, five LLM candidates from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, will launch a pilot programme for secondary school students in Coláiste na Coiribe. The pilot programme, which was developed in collaboration with the Clann Project and survivors, educators and activists, aims to amplify the voices of survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes and Industrial Schools and highlight the State’s continuing failure to provide comprehensive redress.    By listening to survivors, the students realised the importance of memorialising the past abuses, which occurred in these institutions, to ensure that they do not happen again. Research on memorialisation efforts in Canada, Australia and Germany, highlighted the fact that education plays a vital role in preserving history and preventing human rights violations.   The pilot programme is thus centred on the belief that education plays an important role in the transitional justice process and that teaching students about the dark side of a nation’s history is an important aspect of ensuring the non-recurrence of human rights violations. Given the important role that education plays in preserving history and preventing human rights violations, the authors of the lesson plan realised that survivor’s stories needed to be taught in Irish classrooms today. Many survivors of Ireland’s Institutions are growing older, and they should not have to wait for the Department of Education to change the Leaving Certificate History syllabus to have their voices heard in classrooms. As such, the authors decided to develop a lesson plan aimed at Transition Year students. The lesson plan, entitled ‘Ireland’s Dark History’, is a two-hour long lesson which aims to teach transition year students about the human rights violations which occurred in Ireland’s institutions throughout the twentieth century. It covers the Mother and Baby Homes, the Industrial Schools and the Magdalene Laundries as well as the issues of illegal adoptions and unmarked graves.  The lesson is taught through a human rights lens to ensure that people are aware of the human rights violations and the legal obligations which the Irish State has so-far failed to meet.  The programme will be taught to students for the first time on Thursday in Coláiste na Coiribe. The authors of the programme believe that this event will provide invaluable experience and feedback which will allow them to improve the lesson plan before it will be launched online on www.openheartcitydublin.ie later this month. Once launched online, the lesson plan will be publicly available and free to download. It will also be accompanied by a guide on transitional justice and education, a PowerPoint presentation and a script which will allow any teacher in any classroom to direct the lesson themselves. Also available on the Open Heart City website, will be an archive containing additional resources including documentaries, music and newspaper articles as well as a Galway-specific lesson plan which aims to emphasise the ubiquitous nature of these institutions across Ireland.    According to survivor and community organiser, Mary Harney - “we must teach children the history of this dark chapter in Ireland and keep that memory alive so that it never happens again”, highlighting the importance of a pilot programme like this one.  Emily O’ Reilly, one of the students working on the project adds that “It is our hope that in the future the Irish State will incorporate historical abuses into the Irish Leaving Certificate Curriculum. Until then we will continue carrying out our pilot programme all over Ireland”.  Survivors of institutional abuse, academics, journalists, NGOs such as Adoption Rights Alliance, Justice for Magdalenes, The Clann Project and many more have been fighting tirelessly to raise awareness of the human rights abuses which occurred in Irish Institutions during the twentieth century. The authors of this pilot programme endeavour to assist their cause. They hope that Coláiste na Coiribe will be joined by many other schools across the country in teaching students about this topic and helping to preserve survivors' testimonies.  NOTES TO EDITOR For further comment, please contact: Emily O’Reilly      e.oreilly29@nuigalway.ieJessica Howard      j.howard6@nuigalway.ieHelen McDonagh  h.mcdonagh2@nuigalway.ie  The students who designed the pilot programme are Tomás Biggins, Jessica Howard, Helen McDonagh, Emily O’Reilly, and Sija Shen. The students worked with The Clann Project under the supervision of community organisers Mary Harney and Fionna Fox who are first and second generation survivors of institutional abuse. This initiative is part of the Human Rights Law Clinic module at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, taught by Dr Maeve O’Rourke.       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

'Tibet and International Law: Occupation, Self Determination, and the Importance of Language'  with  Professor Michael van Walt van Praag  Senior Fellow, Sompong Sucharitkul Center for Advancing International Legal Studies, and Executive President of Kreddha  and   Professor Susan Akram  Clinical Professor of the Human Rights Law Clinic at Boston University  Time: 4:00 – 5:00 PM (Irish Standard Time)  Date: 23rd April 2021 Via Zoom   Biography Professor Susan Akram is a graduate of the University of Michigan (BA), Georgetown University School of Law (JD), Oxford University (MA), and the Institut International des Droits del'Homme (Diplome). She directs BU Law’s International Human Rights Clinic, in which she supervises students engaged in international advocacy in domestic, international, regional, and UN fora. Her research and publications focus on immigration, asylum, refugee, forced migration and human and civil rights issues, with an interest in the Middle East, the Arab, and Muslim world.   Biography Professor Michael van Walt van Praag is an international lawyer, a mediator in intrastate peace processes, and Professor of international law and international relations. He was knighted in 2020 by H. M. the King and the Government of the Netherlands, for his “exceptional service to society with a global impact”. His recent publication Tibet Brief 20/20 (Outskirts Press, 2020) analyses the legal status of Tibet.           Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Galway Business and Human Rights Symposium 2021 Taking Stock, Looking Forward  29 April 20219:30am – 3pm (GMT+1)  National University of Ireland Galway (via Zoom)  The Irish Centre for Human Rights in the School of Law at the National University of Ireland Galway will host a half-day symposium exploring key international and national efforts aimed at advancing business respect for human rights. Issues discussed will include the UN Guiding Principles at 10, advancements in human rights due diligence, the revision of Ireland’s national plan and prospects for the proposed international treaty on business and human rights. The symposium will bring together a number of legal and policy experts and practitioners.  Symposium speakers:     Eamon Gilmore, EU Special Representative on Human Rights Professor Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington; United Nations Working Group on business and human rights  Caoimhe de Barra, CEO Trócaire Dr Anil Yilmaz Vastardis, Human Rights Centre, Essex School of Law Dr Rachel Chambers, Human Rights Institute, University of Connecticut Gerry Cunningham, Director, Human Rights Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ambassador Emilio Izquierdo, Ambassador of Ecuador to the United Nations Geneva, Chair Rapporteur, Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group Dr Claire Methven O’Brien, Strategic Adviser on Human Rights and Business,Danish Institute of Human Rights Dr Irene Pietropaoli, British Institute of International and Comparative Law Dr Nadia Bernaz, Wageningen Law, the Netherlands Dr Rachel Widdis, Trinity College Dublin Professor Surya Deva,  City University of Hong Kong; United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights  The symposium will take place via Zoom. There is no fee to attend and you can register here:  https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/galway-business-and-human-rights-symposium-2021-tickets-142071538797         Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

Staff and postgraduate students at the Irish Centre for Human Rights have submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council to inform Ireland's upcoming Universal Periodic Review examination. The report, available here, focuses on a range of issues.    Regarding Sexual, Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the report highlights that:   Data about GBV is not collected in a timely, impartial and transparent manner and fails to take into account minority and hard to reach groups, especially during Covid-19; Inequalities concerning access to services are increasing, setting additional barriers for Roma, Travellers, women with disabilities, women living in rural areas and women with a precarious immigration status (amongst others); In the legal system, a persisting lack of common understanding of the structural nature and the impacts of GBV prevents victims/survivors from accessing non-gender stereotyping and gender-sensitive justice; and Services providing technical and emotional support to victims/survivors in navigating the legal system critically lack accessibility, visibility and funding. The report calls on the Government to:     Improve the collection and disaggregation of data in relation to GBV; Increase funding and improve the provision of information and services, in particular to the most vulnerable groups; Implement a training programme to equip Irish authorities and court personnel with expertise on equal provision to effective protection and response to GBV; and Actively work towards the implementation of in-court support and referral services in every courthouse of the country, as it exists in Dolphin House, to improve the provision of services to victims/survivors. The report also calls, among other things, for the Government to:    Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which would require the creation of an independent inspection mechanism for all places of lawful and de facto detention in Ireland. Apply a series of measures to mitigate the harms of Direct Provision until the system detailed in the 'White Paper to end Direct Provision' is implemented, including: relocating children and families living in DP to own-door accommodation in the community; fast tracking applications and the granting of status to children and families in DP; and undertaking a disability audit of DP and emergency accommodation. Regarding human rights protections in residential care contexts:  Regulate the home care sector; Ensure the protection of the right to informed consent in care settings; Introduce statutory rights to care in the community to avoid unnecessary institutionalisation; Carry out an investigation into human rights violations that have happened during Covid-19; Ensure state resourcing of all institutional care settings to ensure that reasonable adjustments can be made and sufficient staffing provided to allow for maximum safe visiting and all possible communication between family members during the Covid-19 pandemic. Regarding so-called 'historical' institutional and adoption-related abuses:  Ensure access to justice and accountability for the Magdalene Laundries, including the establishment of an independent, thorough investigation and truth telling process; Provide remedies and reparations for human rights violations in Mother and Baby Homes that are based on internationally recognised Transitional Justice Principles; Fully respect, protect and fulfil the personal data access rights of all people who suffered abuse through the adoption system and in institutions. Regarding Traveller housing and institutional racism: Prioritise and allocate additional long term and sustainable funding to Traveller led organisations who are working to combat racism and discrimination towards Travellers in Ireland. Regarding undocumented migrants' access to basic services to enjoy the right to life in dignity: Adopt measures (in law and policy) that guarantee essential goods and services to protect the right to life regardless of migration status and guarantee the right to health care of irregular migrants beyond emergency care. Ensure safeguards are in place at ports of entry to ensure that persons being denied leave to enter are not being placed at risk of refoulement including those arriving from jurisdictions categorised as safe countries of origin. Implement recommendations given in relation to trafficking in persons in the reports issued on Ireland by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Persons. Adopt new Hate Crime legislation to cover incitement to hatred and hate crime (online and in person) and include traveller representatives in the consultation process of such legislation to ensure that hate crime and hate speech against Travellers is specifically included in the legislation. Regarding Business and Human Rights: Establish legislative measures with mandatory human rights due diligence requirements for large or State-owned companies; and address legal and practical barriers to ensure the availability of remedies for victims of business activities which harm human rights, including by companies domiciled in Ireland but operating or engaging in business activities abroad.

‘Protecting social rights using the European Social Charter: the case of the right to protection of health in times of pandemic’  With Professor Giuseppe PALMISANOUniversity of Roma TreEuropean Committee of Social Rights  and with the participation of  Professor Padraic KENNANational University of Ireland Galway‘The Irish collective complaints to the European Committee of Social Rights’  Time: 1 pm- 2 pmDate: 22 April 2021Join Zoom Meeting   Biographies   Giuseppe Palmisano is Professor of International Law at the University Roma Tre in Rome. During his 30+ year career in academia and as an international legal expert, he worked with the Special Rapporteur on State Responsibility at the International Law Commission of the United Nations, acted as the director of the Institute for International Legal Studies of the National Research Council of Italy, and from 2011 he is a member of the European Committee of Social Rights (president 2015-2020, general rapporteur 2021-ongoing) at the Council of Europe.   Padraic Kenna teaches housing law, rights and policy, property law and regulation at NUI Galway, and directs the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy. He works with Housing Rights Watch and FEANTSA, and has been involved in a number of Collective Complaints, including FEANTSA v France, and more recently FIDH v Ireland. Professor Kenna publishes widely on housing and housing rights.           Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

    Irish Centre for Human Rights Submits on the Draft State Report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities In advance of Ireland’s first examination under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR) welcomes the opportunity to submit feedback on Ireland’s draft report. On Friday 9 April, the ICHR, in its submission, highlighted the significant lack of reference made to asylum seekers with disabilities in Direct Provision. This is a major concern given asylum seekers are one of the most marginalised and potentially most vulnerable population groups of disabled persons in Ireland. The authors raise questions on specific articles of the Convention and on the Vulnerability Assessment Tool which the Government ought to address in their report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The submission authored by Keelin Barry, Irish Research Council Government of Ireland PhD Scholar and Róisín Dunbar, LLM can be accessed here.               Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

‘Irish-Colombian relations through the lens of peacebuilding and human rights’ With  AMBASSADOR ALISON MILTONAmbassador of Ireland to Colombia  Time: 2pm - 3pm (Irish Time)Date: 14 April 2021 Join Zoom Meeting  Biography  Ambassador Alison Milton holds a Masters in Community Development Studies, National University of Ireland Galway and a Bachelors of Commerce: Banking & Finance, University College Dublin. She is currently the Ambassador of Ireland to Colombia and she is also the first Irish resident ambassador in Colombia. She has a longstanding career within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where she covered the following roles: Director of the Humanitarian Aid Program 2018-2015; Member of the Board of Directors of Ministry 2017 – 2015; Director ad interim of the Planning and Policy Section 2015 – 2014; Deputy Director of the Planning and Policy Section 2014 – 2013; Director of the Civil Society and Development Education Section 2013 – 2009; Deputy Head of the Mission, Embassy of Ireland in Maseru, Lesotho 2009 – 2008 and First Secretary, External Assistance program, Embassy of Ireland in Maputo, Mozambique 2008 – 2003. https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/colombia/about-us/ambassador/   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

    Congratulations to our PhD student Paul Bradfield on his successful viva that took place last week: "Forgiveness in the Age of Accountability - Assessing Amnesty in Northern Uganda."  We wish you all the best in your future endeavours!           Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar - Mandate, Investigative Work, and Challenges     with    Cóman Kenny  Legal Officer at the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM)    Time: 01:00 – 02:00 (Irish Standard Time)   Date: 2 April 2021  Via: Zoom  Speaker Biography   Cóman Kenny is a Legal Officer at the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). He is a graduate of NUI Galway (BA, LLB), Leiden University (LLM) and the Honorable Society of Kings Inns (BL). Prior to working at the IIMM, he worked as a Defence lawyer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and as a Prosecution lawyer at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the International Criminal Court and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Cóman also has published in the Journal of International Criminal Justice, International Criminal Law Review and the New York University Journal of Law and Policy.        Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Memory and Transitional Justice in Uganda - Perspectives from the Field     with      SOLOMY AWIDI  Lawyer and Memorialisation Programme Lead at Refugee Law Project, Uganda.    Time: 1:00-2:00 (Irish Standard Time) Date: 29 March 2021Zoom Meeting    Speaker Biography:    Solomy Awidi is a Ugandan lawyer with Refugee Law Project, and specialises in Transitional Justice, Documentation and Memorialisation. She is the current Programme Lead in the area of Memory and Truth Telling, and has conducted extensive fieldwork across Uganda documenting conflict and working with communities to facilitate memorialisation activities.  The Refugee Law Project Established in 1999 to provide legal aid to asylum seekers and refugees in Uganda, the Refugee Law Project (RLP) is an indigenous Ugandan organisation and an outreach project of the School of Law, Makerere University. RLP was formed in response to the realisation that despite Uganda’s strong international reputation for providing asylum to refugees, refugees did not always enjoy their rights in accordance with domestic and international law.  RLP incorporates a Human Rights approach to providing for refugees upholding the values of non-discrimination, rigour, innovation, respect, accountability, professionalism and independence. RLP also works closely with the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Justice Law and Order Sector, local government officials and refugee communities to engage in education and training activities aimed at addressing refugee issues using a Human Rights lens.  RLP has an active research and advocacy component committed to providing necessary empirical support for any debate about policy and legislation, and to advocate on behalf of its client base. Since its formation, RLP has further widened the scope of its activities to include other forced migrants such as IDPs, as well as examining questions surrounding Access to Justice, Gender and Sexuality, Conflict Transitional Justice and Governance, Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing, Media for Social Change and Climate Change and Forced Migration seeing as these affect forcibly displaced populations as well, bringing its overall focus from only Refugees to “Justice & Forced Migration”.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  ‘The War Lawyers: The United States, Israel and Juridical Warfare’  With  DR CRAIG JONES Lecturer in Political Geography Newcastle University    Time: 1 pm- 2 pm Date: 25 March 2021   Join Zoom Meeting   Seminar Topic   In this seminar, Dr Craig Jones will discuss his newly published book, The War Lawyers. Craig’s monograph examines the laws of war interpreted and applied by military lawyers to aerial targeting operations carried out by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Israel military in Gaza. Drawing on interviews with military lawyers and others, he explains why some lawyers became integrated in the chain of command whereby military targets are identified and attacked, whether by manned aircraft, drones and/or ground forces, and with what results. Craig’s research shows just how important law and war lawyers have become in the conduct of contemporary warfare, and how it is understood. Jones argues that circulations of law and policy between the US and Israel have expanded the scope of what constitutes a legitimate military target, contending that the involvement of war lawyers in targeting operations not only constrains military violence, but also enables, legitimises, and sometimes even extends it.  Biography    Dr Craig Jones is a Lecturer in Political Geography in the School of Geography, Sociology and Politics at Newcastle University. He completed his PhD in Geography at the University of British Columbia in 2017. He researches the geographies of later modern warfare and is especially interested legal and medical materialities of war and conflict in the contemporary Middle East. His current work focuses on the slow violence of traumatic injury and regimes of rehabilitation among civilian populations in Palestine, Iraq, and Syria. To learn more please visit the War Space website or follow him on Twitter @thewarspace.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  ‘Ensuring Respect for International Humanitarian Law’   With  DR EVE MASSINGHAM KELISIANA THYNNE ANNABEL McCONNACHIE PARISA ZANGENEH  Time: 10.30 am- 11.30 amDate: 24 March 2021   Join Zoom Meeting   Biography    Dr Eve Massingham is a Senior Research Fellow with the School of Law, The University of Queensland. She is the co-editor of Ensuring Respect for International Humanitarian Law (Routledge, 2020) and she has published a number of book chapters and journal articles in the fields of international humanitarian law and international law and the use of force.    Kelisiana Thynne is currently Legal Adviser in the Advisory Services in the Legal Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). She has worked for ICRC in Afghanistan, South East Asia and the Pacific. She has also worked with the Australian government’s Attorney-General’s Department and the Australian Civil Military Centre.   Annabel McConnachie has volunteered with the IHL team at Australian Red Cross since 2003 primarily involved with dissemination activities. Annabel recently joined the Financial Rights Legal Centre, leading their community legal education programme and taught human rights, international law and forced migration to international relations students at Macquarie University between 2006 and 2016.  Parisa Zangeneh is a PhD student at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  We are delighted to welcome Dr Anna Arstein-Kerslake as incoming Lecturer in Human Rights law, commencing in September 2021.  Anna is joining us from Melbourne Law School, where she is currently an Associate Professor in Law.  She is an internationally recognised legal academic in the fields of human rights, gender justice and international disability rights. She has published widely in these areas, including her recent books, Restoring Voice to People (Cambridge University Press 2017) and Legal Capacity and Gender (Springer 2020).  Anna has led several large scale research projects, working with UN bodies, international NGOs, and Governments, including: World Health Organisation (WHO), United Kingdom Ministry of Justice, Irish Ministry of Justice, Amnesty Ireland, Interights, and Mental Disability Advocacy Center, among others. Recent research includes leading the Unfitness to Plead Project, funded by the Australian Government, which examined the application of a human rights framework to the indefinite detention of people with cognitive disabilities after being found 'unfit to plead'.  In 2015, Anna founded the international Disability Human Rights Research Network (DHRRN), which currently spans Europe, India, USA, and Australia. She also developed the Disability Human Rights Clinic (DHRC) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Disability Benefits Clinic at Melbourne Law School.  Anna previously held a Marie Curie Research Fellowship at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP) at NUI Galway. Her Marie Curie fellowship focused on the right to equal recognition before the law, and included research collaborations in Europe, USA, Asia, and Australia to engage with governments, international bodies, local communities, and academics.  Anna holds a PhD in Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), a JD from the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, and a BA in Sociology from San Diego State University (SDSU).      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Judging the Judges: Judicial Ethics at the International Criminal Court    with    DR JOSEPH POWDERLY  Associate Professor at Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies, Leiden University   Time: 01:00 – 02:00 (Irish Standard Time) Date: 19th March 2021   Via Zoom Meeting    Speaker Biography  Dr. Joseph Powderly joined the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies as an Assistant Professor of Public International Law in March 2011, and was appointed Associate Professor in September 2018. He is Director of the Grotius PhD Track Programme and lectures in international criminal law, international criminal litigation, and public international law at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research focuses in particular on the judicial function in an international criminal law context, but also looks more broadly at issues relevant to international criminal justice, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and cultural heritage law. He is also the author of Judges and the Making of International Law (Brill 2020) https://brill.com/view/title/54512      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

The Northern Ireland Executive has appointed Dr Maeve O'Rourke, Lecturer in Human Rights and Director of the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, to a Truth Recovery Design Team which will work with victims and survivors of Mother and Baby and Magdalene Laundry Institutions to establish the terms of reference for an independent investigation/inquiry. Dr O'Rourke will join Professor Emeritus Phil Scraton, School of Law, Queen's University, and Deirdre Mahon, in this 6-month task alongside individuals and families affected by the institutions.  Further information, including instructions for those who would like to participate in the process, are available here:   https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/news/mother-and-baby-and-magdalene-laundry-institutions-truth-recovery-design-team-announced    See also a BBC News report here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-56283644    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  ‘Reflections on the Dominic Ongwen Verdict’ With DR KJELL ANDERSONAssistant Professor of Law, University of Manitoba   Time: 2 pm- 3pmDate: 8 March 2021 Join Zoom Meeting     Biography  Dr Kjell Anderson is a jurist and social scientist specialised in the study of human rights, mass violence, and mass atrocities. He is the author of Perpetrating Genocide: A Criminological Account (Routledge 2019),and the forthcoming volumes The Dilemma of Dominic Ongwen: From Child Abductee to War Criminal (Rutgers University Press, 2020); and Approaching Perpetrators: Insights on Ethics, Methods, and Theory (University of Wisconsin Press, 2020). Dr Anderson’s work experience encompasses advocacy for victims of torture and sexual violence in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo for FACT-Rwanda (Forum des Activistes Contre la Torture), leading the rule of law program at The Hague Institute for Global Justice, working at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on indigenous issues, acting as a legal researcher.  He has also been a researcher in the Transitional Justice Program at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies (Amsterdam), and a visiting researcher in the Department of Sociology at the University of the South Pacific (Suva, Fiji) and at the National University of Juridical Sciences (Kolkata, India).  He has given transitional justice training workshops in South Africa, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Burundi and has contributed to short courses at the Free University Berlin, the Bergen-Belsen International Summer School, and for Aegis Trust at the Kigali Memorial Centre. Dr Anderson holds PhD and LLM degrees in International Human Rights Law (from the National University of Ireland and Utrecht University, respectively), as well as MA and BA degrees in Conflict Studies (from Carleton University and the University of Saskatchewan).His current research focuses on perpetrators of international crimes, the criminology of genocide, transitional justice, and the Dominic Ongwen trial at the International Criminal Court. Beyond legal and archival sources, his research has involved qualitative interviewing in the field.     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

    ‘Dates for your Diary’ 2021  **All of the below are online via Zoom**   9th February 2021 - Dr Mathilda Twomey, Adjunct Professor, School of Law, NUI Galway,Justice of Appeal, Seychelles, Academic Head, Judicial Institute for Africa. ‘Child Law Reform: children, vulnerable witnesses and sexual offences law in the Seychelles’Time: 1pm – 2.15pm  11th February 2021 - Professor Charles Ngwena, Centre for Human Rights, Pretoria University, (Visiting Professor, Irish Centre for Human Rights – 2021) ‘The genderedness of African abortion laws: the persistence of the legacy of colonialism’.Time: 1pm – 2pm  15th February 2021 –Whitaker Institute Webinar organised by the Whitaker Institute.  Aggession and its Victims:  http://whitakerinstitute.ie/event/aggression-and-its-victims-exploring-recent-developments-in-international-law/Time: 3.30pm – 5pm  18th February  - International law, the occupation and accountability’ by Professor Michael Lynk, Faculty of Law, Western Law, OntarioTime: 1.30pm – 2.30pm    22nd February 2021- Dr Catherine O’Rourke, Director, Transitional Justice Institute, University of Ulster, will give a seminar on her new book, ‘Women’s Rights  in Armed Conflict under International Law’.Time: 1pm -2pm.  4th March 2021 - Prof Guenael Mettraux for a lunchtime seminar on 'How international tribunals have contributed to advancing IHL'.Time: 1.30p to 2.30pm 8th March 2021 - Dr Kjell Anderson, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Manitoba, ‘Reflections on the Dominic Ongwen Verdict’Time: 2pm 19th March 2021 - Dr Joseph Powderly, Leiden University, ‘Judging the Judges: Judicial Ethics at the International Criminal Court’Time: 1pm - 2pm. 22nd March – Prof Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (Adjunct Professor of Human Rights, NUI Galway)Time: 2pm – 3.15pm 25th March 2021 - Dr Craig Jones, Newcastle University, ‘The War Lawyers: the United States, Israel and Judicial Warfare’Time: 1pm - 2pm.      22nd April: Dr Mads Gilbert, ‘'Modern warfare': Medical consequences and working realities - The Case of Gaza'.Time: 1pm – 2pm 29th April - Business and  Rights Symposium. A symposium organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights.Time: TBC 10th – 12th May – PhD SymposiumTime: TBC  8th – 11th June - Summer School on the International Criminal Court. This year’s Summer School will take place online.Time: TBC          Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Next Postgraduate Open Day will take place on Tuesday 2 March 2021 at 11am Irish time   More information can be found on http://www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day/         Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  'How International Tribunals have contributed to advancing IHL'   with   PROFESSOR GUÉNAËL METTRAUX  Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Professor of Law at Dickinson Law School and NUI Galway Adjunct Professor    Time: 01:30 – 2:30 PM (Irish Standard Time)  Date: 4th March 2021   Join Zoom Meeting    Speaker Biography  Prof. Dr. Guénaël Mettraux is a Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He is Presiding member of the European Union's Human Rights Review Panel. He appears as Defense counsel before international criminal jurisdictions. Over the past decade, he has represented several high-ranking military and civilian leaders accused of international crimes, including General Sefer Halilović (former Commander of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ljube Boškoski (former Minister of Interior of the Republic of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), General Ante Gotovina (General in the Croatian Army) and Assad Hassan Sabra (Special Tribunal for Lebanon – Rafik Hariri assassination). Dr Mettraux is also a Professor of Law at Dickinson Law School, PennState, a guest lecturer at SciencePo, Paris, and a guest lecturer at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). In June 2020, he was also appointed as an adjunct Professor of International Criminal Justice and International Criminal Law. He has published extensively in the field of international criminal law. His scholarly works include three books: "International Crimes and the ad hoc Tribunals (OUP, 2005), "Perspectives on the Nuremberg Trial" (OUP, 2008) and "The Law of Command Responsibility" (OUP, 2009), which was awarded the Lieber Prize from the American Society of International Law. He is a member of the Editorial Committee of the Journal of International Criminal Justice and the Board of Editors of the International Criminal Law Review.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

   Submissions on the vulnerability assessment tool and disability in Direct Provision The Centre for Disability Law & Policy (CDLP) and the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR) have presented a submission to Minister Roderic O’Gorman T.D. (Minister for Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth) and Minister Anne Rabbitte T.D. (Minister of State with responsibility for Disability). The submission highlighted the need for a human rights focused, ‘disability lens’ to be applied to all aspects of the planned vulnerability assessment tool, required under EU law. A human rights focus is essential to ensure Ireland fulfil’s its obligations to asylum seekers with a disability under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which Ireland ratified in 2018. More than 2 years after the adoption of the 2018 Regulations, Ireland has still not implemented vulnerability assessments for asylum seekers.  Asylum seeker children and adults with disabilities are largely invisible in the Direct Provision system, as well as also being largely invisible and excluded from the wider Irish disability sector. The Irish State has a legal obligation under theEuropean Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 to provide access to a vulnerability assessment tool within 30 days of an application for international protection being lodged for a list of vulnerable groups, including disabled asylum seekers. Since the legislation was transposed in 2018, there has been a delay in the development of the vulnerability assessment tool for over two and a half years. The vulnerability assessment tool is currently being piloted at the Balseskin Reception Centre.  Ireland will present its first State report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2021. (Ireland was the last EU member state to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).  The State’s Draft Initial Report under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2020) was released by the Government in late December 2020 and is currently open for public consultation. There is no mention of asylum seekers with disabilities in Direct Provision in the Draft Initial Report.  Keelin Barry, author of the submissions and Irish Research Council PhD researcher at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, commented: “It is imperative that the human rights of child and adult asylum seekers with disabilities living in Direct Provision are addressed as a matter of urgency by the Government. This human rights issue has been ignored and invisible for too long. Child and adult asylum seekers with disabilities should be recognized as equal rights bearers in Ireland, and have their human rights protected under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as should all disabled persons in the State.”  Professor Eilionóir Flynn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway, commented: “Internationally, we know that the number of disabled asylum seekers and refugees is increasing. Many refugees need to seek asylum because of disability-based oppression. Some asylum-seekers have acquired disabilities as a result of conflict, and others acquire disabilities in transit. As we move towards ending the system of Direct Provision, Ireland has a unique opportunity to address the specific inequalities experienced by disabled asylum seekers and to better protect their human rights.”      A second submission to the ‘White Paper on Direct Provision’ was also made to Minister Roderic O’ Gorman T.D. (Minister for Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth)  The submissions were authored by Keelin Barry, Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Scholar, and PhD Candidate at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, at NUI Galway and can be read below:  Submission to Minister Roderic O’ Gorman and Minister Anne Rabbitte on the Vulnerability Assessment Tool and Disability in Direct Provision.  Submission to The White Paper on Direct Provision: The Vulnerability Assessment Tool and Disability in Direct Provision.  For media enquiries see the full press release below: Media Press Release         Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  ‘International law, the Occupation and Accountability’   with   PROFESSOR MICHAEL LYNK   (Faculty of Law, Western Law, Ontario and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967).   Time: 01:30 – 2:30 PM (Irish Standard Time)  Date: 18 February 2021   Join Zoom Meeting    Speaker Biography Professor S. Michael Lynk is Associate Professor of Law at Western University in London, Ontario, where he teaches labour law, constitutional law and human rights law. Before becoming an academic, he practiced labour law and refugee law for a decade in Ottawa and Toronto. He also worked for the United Nations on human rights and refugee issues in Jerusalem.  Professor Lynk has written widely on labour law and human rights issues in Canada, and he has also published articles on the application of international law to the Middle East conflict. He has regularly acted as a labour arbitrator in Canada, he speaks frequently at labour law and industrial relations conferences and he has advised governments and international organizations on labour law and human rights issues. Professor Lynk received his B.A. (with honours) and his LL.B. from Dalhousie University, and completed his LL.M. at Queen's University in 2001.   Mandate of the Special Rapporteur  The task of the Special Rapporteur is to assess the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, report publicly about it, and work with governments, civil society and others to foster international cooperation. The Special Rapporteur undertakes regular visits or missions to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and reports annually to the Human Rights Council. OHCHR provides him with logistical and technical assistance. Prof. Lynk (Canada), was appointed in 2016.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

The Irish Centre for Human Rights would like to congratulate Dr Stefano Angeleri for being awarded a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (MSCA-IF-GF) under the EC Horizon 2020 scheme. Stefano, who is a PhD graduate of NUIG, is currently lecturing at the ICHR and managing the research project ‘FRANET’, funded by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. Under his recently awarded MSCA-IF-GF he will be affiliated with Queen’s University Belfast and conduct research between Colombia (based at the Universidad del Rosario, 18 months) and Northern Ireland (Queen’s University Belfast, 12 months). His project ‘HEAVEN’ aims to develop the first primary health care-based paradigm of rights implementation for irregular migrants, employing the Venezuelan migration in Colombia as a case study. HEAVEN will establish conceptual and operational bridges between the fields of public health and human rights law to shape a regulatory framework to address the health needs of vulnerable migrants in a non-discriminatory, cost-effective, prevention- and equity-oriented way. The implementation of the project will generate an intensive interaction between the different state and non-state actors that provides services and coordinate the response vis-à-vis the Venezuelan migration in Colombia, and its impact, dissemination and communication strategies will include roundtables with key actors, legal advocacy initiatives, and interdisciplinary conferences.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  ‘Women’s Rights in Armed Conflict under International Law’ With DR CATHERINE O’ROURKE Director, Transitional Justice Institute, University of Ulster   Time: 1pm-2 pmDate: 22 February 2021 Join Zoom Meeting     Biography  Dr Catherine O'Rourke is Director of the Transitional Justice Institute and Senior Lecturer in Human Rights and International Law in the School of Law at Ulster University, Northern Ireland. She researches, teaches and engages in policy work in the fields of gender, conflict, transitional justice and international law. Her new monograph, that will be presented during the seminar, is entitled Women's Rights in Armed Conflict under International Law (Cambridge University Press, 2020). Catherine works with the Irish and UK governments, the United Nations and several non-governmental organizations in policy work related to her expertise.     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

Third Postgraduate Dissertation Prize   Clara Bosch March, who completed her LL.M. in International Human Rights with First Class Honours at the ICHR in 2020, has won the First Prize of the Third Postgraduate Dissertation Prize organised by the Journal of Immigration Asylum and Nationality Law (with Hart Publishing and Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association) with her master's theses 'The case-law of the ECtHR on Art. 4 of Protocol No. 4 – between evolution and legal certainty'. Publication of the same in the form of an article will follow soon.   Congratulations from all in the Irish Centre for Human Rights!

  Huge congratulations to our PhD student Andrew Forde on his successful viva that took place last week: "European Human Rights Grey Zones - The Application of the European Convention on Human Rights in Contested European Territories".

GLAN-ICHR Submission on European Pushbacks submitted to UN Special Rapporteur on Rights of Migrants The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR) today presented a submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants in support of his forthcoming report on pushback practices and their impact on the human rights of migrants. Global Legal Action Network  The report, which Special Rapporteur Felipe González Morales will present to the 47th session of the Human Rights Council, seeks to address current patterns of summary expulsions (pushbacks) on land and at sea and to offer recommendations to better ensure migrants’ access to international protection and human rights at international borders. Noting the lack of a universal definition, the Special Rapporteur describes pushbacks as the “various measures taken by States which result in migrants, including asylum seekers, being summarily forced back to the country from where they attempted to cross or have crossed an international border without access to international protection or asylum procedures or denied of any individual assessment on their protection needs which may lead to a violation of the principle of non-refoulement.” In a joint submission, GLAN and ICHR compiled a set of key points for the Special Rapporteur’s consideration, based on the organisations’ recent legal work and analyses of European pushbacks. The submission identifies the following topics as the foremost issues regarding pushbacks in the European context. Migration and financial cooperation to implement illegal pushbacks. In the exercise of EU and non-EU partnerships and cooperation frameworks for ‘combatting illegal immigration’, such as the Memoranda of Understanding between Italy and Libya and Malta and Libya, illegally-disbursed development funds from the EU are used for quasi-military purposes and mismanaged with serious consequences to human rights protection. The EU’s financial complicity in illegal pushbacks has been challenged by GLAN and others. Pushbacks by proxy. The EU and Italian funding of the Libyan Coast Guard (LYCG) is so extensive that the LYCG would not be able to exist or function without such support. As communicated in the case of S.S. and Ors v. Italy, currently pending before the ECtHR, Italy exercises effective control over the LYCG and its jurisdiction is thus implicated in the LYCG’s ‘pullbacks’ of migrants at sea. Constructive refoulement: Prosecution and criminalisation of SAR NGOs to diminish their capacity to conduct rescue at sea. A causal link exists between the shrinking space for solidarity with migrants and conditions that are conducive to constructed refoulement. As a result of the criminalisation of Search and Rescue NGOs, migrants are rendered ‘rightless’, exposed to preventable death and refoulement. The weaponisation of life-saving equipment for pushbacks. In a pattern of pushbacks widely documented across the Aegean since March 2020, asylum seekers attempting to apply for protection in Greece are taken on Hellenic Coast Guard vessels and forced onto inflatable, non-navigable life-rafts, left to drift at sea. This practice amounts to torture under international law. Collective expulsions as systemic discrimination. Asylum-seekers, as well as refugees already holding EU protection, are regularly stopped and arrested by Greek police in public spaces in Greece’s northeastern border region, then detained and collectively forced across the Evros River to Turkey by masked officers in rubber boats. The use of racial profiling to target individuals for these pushbacks exemplifies Greece’s structural discrimination towards migrants, an aggravated systemic violation of the peremptory international prohibition on racial discrimination. Pushbacks as enforced disappearances of migrants. For decades, Greece has systematically conducted these pushbacks across the Evros border, where migrants are deprived of liberty, detained incommunicado and clandestinely expelled from Greece. The individual complaint of FAJ v Greece, submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee last November, broke new grounds by arguing that pushbacks can constitute enforced disappearances under international law. Private refoulement: The use of private merchant vessels to perform interdictions. Merchant ships have been strategically mobilised by States for the interdiction and refoulement of migrants at sea, violating customary rules of public international law and the law of the sea. One example of this pattern is the Nivin incident, presented to the Human Rights Committee in SDG v Italy, whereby Italian authorities directed a Panamanian merchant vessel to intercept and return a boat of 93 migrants to Libya in cooperation with the LYCG. Aerial refoulement: The use of aerial assets, including drones, to assist and direct interdictions by non-EU actors. The Nivin incident, in which a Spanish surveillance aircraft operating within the Italian-coordinated EUNAVFOR MED first sighted the migrants’ boat, also highlights a systematic pattern of EU aerial surveillance methods being deployed to support pushbacks to Libya. The use of aerial assets as a front line of early detection to enable LYCG interceptions has been recorded since at least 2017, and continues to facilitate unlawful refoulement, impedes access to asylum, and exposes migrants to abuse by the LYCG. In compiling this inventory of key points from our work for the Special Rapporteur’s review, the submission seeks to assist his efforts of presenting a comprehensive report about pushback practices, the myriad human rights violations pushbacks involve, and the institutionalized denial of protection for migrants at international borders. The joint ICHR-GLAN submission can be found in full here and will be published on the Special Rapporteur’s website at a later date.  

LLM students working in partnership with the group 'Safety Before LNG' during the 2019-2020 academic year undertook extensive legal research and produced a legal opinion addressing the compatibility with EU and WTO trade law of a potential domestic legislative ban on the importation of fracked gas into Ireland. These students also published a podcast documentary which explored the research and organising behind the anti-fracked gas movement in Ireland and worldwide.   On 11 November, building on this work, Dr Maeve O’Rourke and LLM graduates Cassie Roddy-Mullineaux, Sophie Fitzpatrick and Colin Carney made a written submission to the Joint Committee on Climate Action with Johnny McElligott (Safety Before LNG), Tom White (Belcoo Frack Free) and Eddie Mitchell (Love Leitrim) proposing the establishment of a legislative ban on importing fracked gas by way of amendments to the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960. The submission, which also drew on the work of Gerry Liston of the Global Legal Action Network based at the ICHR, is available here.    The submission had significant impact: the Joint Committee on Climate Action recommended in its December 2020 report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020 'that the Minister address in the Bill and/or revert to the Committee with a comprehensive plan to ban the importation of fracked gas and specifically to ban LNG terminals in Ireland within the year 2021'. 

    Whitaker Webinar Series Date: 15th February 2021 Time: 3.30pm to 5pm Via Zoom Webinar Registration: https://whitakerinstitutemastermailinglist.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/j/0483BE10F697B6492540EF23F30FEDED International law has not traditionally recognised individuals as victims of the crime of aggression. Recent developments may precipitate a departure from this approach. The activation of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over the crime of aggression opens the way for the future application of the Court’s regime of victim participation and reparation in the context of prosecutions for this crime. The determination by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in General Comment No. 36 that any deprivation of life resulting from an act of aggression violates Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights serves to recognise a previously overlooked class of victims. This webinar explores these recent developments, by discussing their background, meaning and implications.  All Welcome!

  Whose business is human rights?by Professor Shane DarcyMonday 11th Januaryhttps://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0111/1188922-whose-business-is-human-rights/ Check out article in the International and Comparative Law Review: by Professor Shane Darcyhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-and-comparative-law-quarterly/latest-issue

Our LLM (International Human Rights) graduate and current tutor, Mary Harney, spoke to thejournal.ie about the need for survivors of Mother and Baby Homes and forced family separation to have 'unfettered access' to birth certificates, early-care documents and medical records, stating that 'the right to identity is a human right, it's the most important thing.'   Mary also spoke to Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1 about her experiences with her mother in Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, as a 'boarded out' child following forced separation from her mother, subsequently in an Industrial School, and fighting to discover her identity and her mother's fate.  Mary's experiences were also reported by the Daily Mail   Mary spoke to Cork radio C103 and Galway Bay FM. 

Last week, Dr Maeve O'Rourke continued her advocacy in relation to the forced separation of families through the Mother and Baby Homes, County Homes and adoption system. Maeve is co-director of the 'Clann Project', a voluntary collaboration between Hogan Lovells International LLP, Adoption Rights Alliance and Justice for Magdalenes Research. The Clann Project assisted 82 people to provide witness statements to the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation and published a group report and recommendations in October 2018.    On behalf of the Clann Project, Maeve and Claire McGettrick issued Briefing Notes last Monday summarising a range of legal and policy changes needed to provide justice to mothers, adopted people, the families of the disappeared, and other victims and survivors.   Maeve appeared on RTE Prime Time on Tuesday 12 January, and Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1 on Wednesday 13 January. She was also interviewed for RTE Six One and Nine News on Sunday 17 January regarding vaccine and milk trials, conducted without consent, on children in Mother and Baby Homes.    Maeve was included in the Irish Independent's list of '50 people to watch in 2021' in the New Year.       

Check out the following articles written by Professor Ray Murphy and published on RTE.ie   Can a new UN treaty help to ban nuclear weapons?By Professor Ray Murphy, NUI GalwayFriday 22nd January 2020https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0122/1191363-united-nations-ban-prohibition-nuclear-weapons-disarmament/ Can Ireland help to get the Iran nuclear deal back on track?By Professor Ray Murphy, NUI GalwayThursday, 14th Jan 2021https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0113/1189519-ireland-iran-nuclear-deal-un-security-council/ Who monitors the US presidential election?By Professor Ray Murphy, NUI GalwayThursday, 15th Oct 2020https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1015/1171764-monitoring-united-states-presidential-election-2020-overseeing-supervising-international/    

  We are pleased to invite you to the lunch time seminar with Amal de Chickera of the Insititute on Statelessness and Inclusion, taking place on Thursday the 10th of December 2020 (International Human Rights Day), from 1 - 2:15pm. Looking forward to seeing you there. Please find the details below: Topic:  Statelessness and Human Rights: Continuing Challenges in 2020  with Amal de Chickera - Co-Founder and co-Director of the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion  Time: 1 - 2:15 PM DublinDate: Thursday 10th December 2020  Join Zoom Meetinghttps://zoom.us/j/96854112500?pwd=S29rLy9sSkJkeEhyN1BVbTRRNk96QT09  Meeting ID: 968 5411 2500Passcode: 400378Find your local number:https://zoom.us/u/achliAUauo   About the Speaker Amal is one of the Statelessness Institute's Co-Directors. He leads the Institute's human rights engagement work. He also plays an important part in the Institute's work on childhood statelessness, gender discrimination and the Sustainable Development Agenda, and on the Institute's engagement with civil society and the arts. Amal is based out of the London office. Amal has researched, advocated, written, spoken, delivered training and served as an expert on statelessness and related issues for the UN, NGOs and academia, since 2008. He is particularly interested in the nexus between statelessness and discrimination and its implications on access to other rights. Before co-founding the Institute, Amal provided the lead on the Equal Rights Trust's statelessness work. He was also one of the co-founders of the European Network on Statelessness, and is a founding member of Stages - a Sri Lankan theatre group. A human rights lawyer and member of the Sri Lankan Bar, Amal holds an LLM (Distinction) from University College London and an LLB (Hons.) from the University of Colombo.   Engage with the work of ISI here Twitter : InstituteSI  Facebook InsitituteonStatelessnessandInclusion Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

Please see details for Seminar taking place tomorrow: Topic:  Imagining Action against Gender-based Violence against Women in a Post-Covid 19 World   With  Naima Isa Sebbi, lawyer at the Association of Women Lawyers in Uganda (FIDA).Francisca Awah Mbuli, survivor of trafficking, founding director of Survivors’ Network Cameroon.Louise Hooper, Barrister at Garden Court Chambers.Noeline Blackwell, CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.  Time: 3-5pm GMTDate: Thursday 10th December  Join Zoom meeting: https://nuigalway-ie.zoom.us/j/91317379558?pwd=OWtLUnVMTi81T08vMCt0M3c2em9KQT09 Webinar ID: 913 1737 9558Passcode: 506991   On Thursday, 10th of December, the Irish Centre for Human Rights is pleased to invite you to a webinar closing the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The panel, formed of four women who work to end violence against women, will critically discuss action against gender-based violence in a post Covid-19 world. The pandemic has acted as a magnifying glass on persisting inequalities everywhere with its accompanying consequences: an increase in multiple forms of violence against women and girls. As we adapt to a ‘new normal’ this event will critically engage with the challenges brought by Covid-19 to the fight against gender-based violence, with the aim to use lessons learned to re-imagine old and new responses for this shadow pandemic.    **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  We are pleased to invite you to the following Lunchtime Seminar: Topic:‘Mapping Action Against Sexual Violence in Malawi’  With  Habiba Osman, Executive Secretary, Malawi Human Rights Commission.Tadala Chinkwezule, President, Women Lawyers Association of Malawi.Dr Bridget Msolomba Malewezi, Medical Doctor & Public health Specialist, Association of Women Doctors, Malawi.  Time: 12.30 - 2 PMDate: Monday, 7th December 2020 Join Zoom meetinghttps://nuigalway-ie.zoom.us/s/97222398918Meeting ID: 972 2239 8918Passcode: 571777  About:Globally, the number of cases of sexual and gender-based violence, including femicide have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Malawi has not been spared from this alarming upsurge. One in five women in Malawi experience sexual violence before they turn 18. This figure is among the highest rates of sexual violence in Southern Africa. Recorded cases of rape and defilement in the year 2020 represent a 19% increase from the previous year. Notably, the largest number of victims of rape in the country are minors including 40% aged between 11-15 years old, and 31% aged between 6- 10 years old. As part of its participation in the UN 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the ICHR is pleased to invite you to a lunchtime seminar with activists working to end violence against women in Malawi. They will discuss the upsurge of cases of sexual-based violence during Covid-19, and exchange knowledge with the view to map future action against this form of gender-based violence.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

We are pleased to invite you at the webinar taking place on Monday November 23rd:   ‘Knocking down the walls of secrecy:The information and privacy rights of those affected by so-called‘historical' institutional and family separation abuses in Ireland’  Dr Maeve O’Rourke&Dr Barry Houlihan  Time: 1pm-2pmDate: 23 November 2020  Join Zoom Webinar https://nuigalway-ie.zoom.us/j/97755307978?pwd=QTJQS3dxZjQ3OFk1WVI4MnpsSkJ2UT09  Webinar ID: 977 5530 7978Passcode: 954483   About the Speakers  Dr Maeve O’Rourke, PhD (Birmingham), LLM (Harvard), BCL (University College Dublin) is Lecturer in Human Rights at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR). She is Programme Director of the BCL Law and Human Rights, a newly established undergraduate degree programme at NUI Galway. She is also Director of the LLM Human Rights Law Clinic at the ICHR.  Since 2010 Maeve has provided pro bono assistance to the voluntary advocacy group ‘Justice for Magdalenes’ and she is currently a member of the research group ‘Justice for Magdalenes Research'. She is co-director of the evidence-gathering initiative with Hogan Lovells LLP, ‘Clann: Ireland’s Unmarried Mothers and their Children: Gathering the Data’. She is also a lead lawyer on the case of Elizabeth Coppin v Ireland, currently awaiting judgment on the merits by the UN Committee Against Torture following a landmark admissibility decision in December 2019. Maeve’s legal research and advocacy concerning Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries abuse and the forced separation of unmarried families in Ireland during the 20th century has received international and national recognition; awards include UK Family Law Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2013), Ireland Fund of Great Britain ‘Forgotten Irish’ Award (2013), University College Dublin Inaugural Alumni Achievement Award in Law (2014), Ireland/United States Alumni Association Inaugural Emerging Leader Award (2015), Lord Mayor of Dublin Award (2016), and PILnet Local Pro Bono Impact Award (2018).   Dr. Barry Houlihan is an Archivist at NUI Galway. Barry teaches in disciplines of History, Children's Studies, and Digital Cultures. Barry is project archivist for the Tuam Mother and Baby Home Oral History Project.    

Press Release: New Complaint at the European Court of Human Rights- A.N. v. Greece  A complaint has been filed by Flip Schüller, Itamar Mann, Niamh Keady-Tabbal and Lisa-Marie Komp with the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of A.N., an asylum seeker who was the victim of a violent maritime expulsion by Greek officials near the island of Samos on 13 May 2020. The submission raises violations of Article 2 (Right to life), Article 3 (Prohibition of torture) and Article 13 (Right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights. It challenges Greece’s now widespread policy of “pushbacks” in the Aegean Sea, and the pattern of sending asylum seekers adrift in non-navigable rafts, which we argue amounts to torture.  The applicant, who fled persecution in his home country, was travelling to Greece on a rubber dinghy, carrying around 30 people, to apply for international protection. Before reaching the island of Samos, the Greek Coast Guard violently intercepted the dinghy then took the applicant and other asylum seekers onto a Coast Guard ship. Onboard, the Greek personnel beat them and confiscated their phones, money, and other personal belongings. This was all done in close proximity to a German Frontex vessel, which may have turned a blind eye to the violations.  The applicant, and the other asylum seekers he was travelling with, were forced into two inflatable life rafts, repurposed for expulsion. Both of the rafts, which are rescue equipment only to be deployed in emergency situations, without engines and non-navigable, were damaged. Though the rafts quickly took on water, the Hellenic Coast Guard towed the rafts towards Turkish waters before cutting the rope and leaving them adrift at sea. Eventually, members of the Turkish Coast Guard rescued the applicant and other asylum seekers and returned them to Turkey.  Throughout these events, the applicant and the other asylum seekers involved were barred from applying for international protection, despite attempts the applicant made to explain that he had suffered from persecution  Not only did the applicant’s treatment constitute an illegal pushback, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement, the pushback practice itself, now widespread on the Aegean, amounts to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. The Court has, in the past, recognised that ill-treatment by public officials during the deportation process may amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. However, the applicant’s complaint that the treatment amounts to torture, is unprecedented.  The significance of the present case extends beyond the experience of the individual applicant, who was subject to severe mental and physical suffering as a result of the deliberate actions of Greek officials. “The violence the applicant suffered at the hands of Greek officials is part of a systematic practice of maritime pushbacks that we have observed since March, and the result of the underlying deterrence policy pursued by Greece and the EU”, said Niamh Keady-Tabbal, a member of A.N.’s legal team. Two of the applicant’s representatives, Keady-Tabbal and Itamar Mann, documented the practice in May, and exposed it in an investigation published in Just Security. As these pushbacks have continued, a number of media outlets, including The New York Times and Der Spiegel, have documented the violent and life-threatening pushback of well over a thousand asylum seekers using this method. The United Nations have urged Greece to “refrain from such practices” and “seriously investigate these reports.” They have, however, continued with impunity. “As the Greek legal system is not available for the applicant, the appropriate and indeed indispensable forum for accountability is the European Court of Human Rights,”  said Mann.  “It is striking that the EU with all its institutions turns a blind eye to the lack of access to territory and thus also to rule of law, particularly when it comes to sea push backs. Yet I am confident that this case will raise awareness both at international level and hopefully in Greece as it needs to be addressed”, said Flip Schüller, Legal Representative.  For more information, please contact:  Flip Schüller  fschuller@prakkendoliveira.nlItamar Mann itamar.mann@gmail.com,Niamh Keady-Tabbal nkeady@gmail.com,Lisa-Marie Komp,  lkomp@prakkendoliveira.nl. 

Seven of our LLM graduates have today launched a report entitled ‘Direct Provision’s Impact on Children: A Human Rights Analysis’, which they researched and authored during their partnership with the Movement of Asylum Seekers (MASI) through the Irish Centre for Human Rights’ Human Rights Law Clinic.  The report was covered by national media (here and here). LLM graduate Róisín Dunbar and women living in Direct Provision gave radio interviews in relation to the report's contents (here and here).   The report analyses how children’s human rights are being impacted upon by Ireland’s reception system for asylum seekers, known as ‘Direct Provision’. The authors, Róisín Dunbar, Lauren Burke, Neasa Candon, Meghan Reid, Sien Crivits, Stacy Wrenn and Angelica Shilova, presented their report to the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Roderic O’Gorman yesterday, on 11 November, with the aim of assisting him to end the discrimination that segregates and demeans children seeking asylum in Ireland, violating their rights guaranteed under international, European and national frameworks.  The report’s foreword is written by Emily Logan, Adjunct Professor at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, and former Ombudsman for Children and Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Logan notes that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and she states: ‘It is heartening to see young people taking such a genuine interest beyond their immediate scholarship to seek to influence and vindicate the rights of children in this state’. The report highlights the wide-ranging rights violations caused by the system of Direct Provision and the related ‘emergency accommodation’. The students argue that children’s rights are breached where, for example: Accommodation in isolated areas creates barriers to accessing specialist services, including mental health services and social care.  Lack of proper food and nutrition in centres where self-catering facilities are unavailable hampers children’s health and development. The prohibitive cost of educational materials, the lack of study spaces and the inability to engage with extracurricular activities create barriers to accessing education. Family life is inhibited by communal settings which disempower parents in their child-rearing, and there are limited opportunities for children to learn about their culture from their parents. Vetting procedures lack transparency, there is inadequate regulation of staff training in child protection and Tusla’s lack of involvement fails to properly address potential risks to children.  According to the NUI Galway students, the incoming National Standards for Direct Provision (to be enforced from January 2021) will not fully protect children’s rights because: They do not apply to emergency accommodation, where living standards and access to services are even worse than Direct Provision centres. They do not provide strict guidelines to ensure the protection of asylum-seeking children from abuse whilst in Direct Provision. They fail to acknowledge the unsuitability of communal education for children and do nothing to remedy the structural poverty enforced by the system. The students submitted an earlier version of their report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, influencing the Committee’s recently published List of Issues Prior to Reporting. The Committee has requested that Ireland provide information to it on special protection measures for asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children, including to replace the system of Direct Provision. Sociologist and activist Evgeny Shtorn, who conceived of the research idea stated: "This was one of the most useful collaborations I've had in the years of campaigning against the segregation which is Direct Provision. What has been done here, is an elaboration of a solid, robust and well-grounded argument as to why Direct Provision needs to become a matter of the past. This is a fruitful collective action, where our expertise as activists has been fiercely supported by scholars of the Irish Centre for Human Rights."  This report forms part of a larger project by the LLM students during the 2019-2020 academic year to raise awareness about the Direct Provision system. The project ‘Ask about Direct Provision’ was conducted to make Direct Provision a key issue for the General Election 2020. The aim was to gather responses from election candidates on their position on Direct Provision. Responses are documented on our website: https://askaboutdirectprovision.wordpress.com/. These projects were conducted under the supervision of Dr Maeve O’ Rourke through the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. The Human Rights Law Clinic introduces master’s students to the concept of ‘movement lawyering’ and allows students to contribute their skills to community-based movements for social change.  About MASI, in their own words: ‘MASI is the collective Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, a platform for asylum seekers to join together in unity and purpose. As a group of people directly affected by the system of direct provision and as people who are currently undergoing the international protection application process, we, unlike experts and NGOs, are uniquely placed to offer direction to the Committee on Justice and Equality on these issues.’ More on MASI’s work and how to support can be found at: https://www.masi.ie/.

  Dates for your Diary 2020 Dates for your Diary 2020**All of the below are online via Zoom**   12th Oct - Gerry Liston, Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) “Climate change and the European Court of Human Rights: the Portuguese Youth4ClimateJustice case” Read more at: https://www.glanlaw.org/ and at: https://youth4climatejustice.org/ Climate Justice Lecture Series: Irish Centre for Human Rights Time: 1pm – 2.15pm  13th Oct - Aonghus Kelly, ‘From Galway to Dublin, via Basra, Bosnia, Belfast and Benghazi: the wanderings of an Irish lawyer’ Time: 1pm - 2pm  19th -30th Oct Human Rights Law Clinic ‘Community Organiser Lecture Fortnight’, with evening presentations and Q&A from 5 to 6.30pm on up to 7 evenings. Speakers to include Mary Harney (Adoption Rights Alliance), Saoirse McHugh (Talamh Beo), Evgeny Shtorn (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland), Clare O'Connor (Inner City Helping Homeless) and Johnny McElligott (Safety Before LNG). More details to follow. These evening events will be online and open to all ICHR students. Time: 5pm – 6.30pm  22nd Oct - Ambassador Michael Gaffey, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN and other International Organisations at Geneva ‘Multilateralism and Human Rights: Engaging with the UN Human Rights Council and the Security Council’Time:  1pm - 2pm  29th Oct - Dr Michelle Farrell, ‘The UK, International Law and International Crimes: Interrogating the Overseas Operations Bill’Time: 1-2pm  03rd Nov – Amal de Chicera, Statelessness Institute ‘ Statelessness, Trafficking and Rohingya communities’Time: 5 – 7pm 05th Nov – Prof Beth van Schaack ‘Imagining Justice for Syria’.Time: 4 – 5pm  9th Nov - Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression ‘Freedom of Opinion and Expression: Contemporary Challenges for a UN mandate’ Time: 4pm - 5.15pm  12th Nov - Professor Mark Drumbl, ‘Exposing Collaborators: Stories and Sentiments Starting in Communist Prague’Time: 1pm - 2pm  13th Nov - Dr Sharifa Sekalala, Warwick University ‘The human rights impact of increased digital public health surveillance measures during the COVID-19 crisis’ Time: 1pm - 2.00pm 19th Nov - Prof. William Schabas, ‘The War Crime of Unfair Trial’  Time: 1pm - 2pm  24th Nov – Dr Olufemi Amao, Reader, Sussex University ‘African regional/sub-regional courts’ emerging jurisprudence on free movement’ Time: 1pm – 2.30pm  26th Nov- Dr Sharon Weill, ‘The Prosecution of Hissene Habré’Time: 1-2pm  3rd Dec - Dr Edel Hughes, ‘Understanding and Addressing the Impact of Invisibility on Conflict-Related Male Sex Violence in Syria’Time: 12 noon  8th Dec - Dr Marica Moscati, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sussex will give a presentation on LGBTI Persons and Access to Justice Time: TBC   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

Publication of new working paper: ‘The Istanbul Convention’s monitoring mechanism: a preliminary assessment of the process, and best practice in GREVIO’s monitoring reports’.   This short working paper, authored by Judit Villena Rodó, PhD researcher and incoming Irish Research Council scholar at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, is based on the findings of a research project commissioned by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) and conducted as part of the ICHR’s Human Rights Law Clinic 19-20.  At an especially relevant time to undertake research on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention), this paper contains a first insight into the Convention’s monitoring process, particularly in relation to State’s obligations relevant to the provision of services to women survivors of violence.   The first part details GREVIO's (Group of Experts on Action on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence) country monitoring procedure, and briefly examines the content of the questionnaire which GREVIO provides to States Parties to aid in the preparation of their country reports. This part includes information on the potential role of NGOs in the reporting process.  The second part presents key findings, and good practices as found within GREVIO’s country monitoring reports under the Convention, adopted until February 2020. The reports examined, sorted by date, are: Austria, Monaco, Albania, Denmark, Turkey, Montenegro, France, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Italy, The Netherlands and Serbia.  Finally, the third part offers concluding thoughts. Although the original report contained a proposal for potential further research, this has been deleted as it was intended solely for the DRCC’s use.   To view this paper please click on the following link -   **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

The Irish Centre for Human Rights is pleased to announce that Beatrice Canossi and ​Judit Villena Rodó have been awarded IRC Government of Ireland PhD scholarship "Beatrice holds a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Milano Bicocca (2016) and she is a graduate from the ICHR LL.M programme in International Criminal Law (First Class, 2019).  Beatrice has significant legal practice experience and passed the Italian State Bar Exam in 2019. Her PhD research project is focused on the transitional justice framework defined by the peace agreement concluded between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP in 2016. Her work looks at the fundamental premises of truth-seeking mechanisms and prosecutions as applied in the context of the Colombian Integrated System of Truth Justice Reparation and Non-Repetition.  The aim of Beatrice's project is to highlight key themes and challenges of the collaboration between judicial and extra-judicial components of the integrated system assessing also their short-term outcomes. Beatrice is supervised by Dr. Anita Ferrara who has a longstanding scholarship within the field of transitional justice and extensive experience within the Latin America region.  Judit holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Stirling (First Class, 2017), and is a graduate of the Irish Centre for Human Rights LL.M. in International Human Rights Law (First Class, 2019). Judit’s PhD research examines the concept coercive control as a gendered phenomenon, and its conceptualization in international human rights law, with emphasis on the Istanbul Convention’s monitoring and implementation of article 33 on psychological violence. More particularly, her project focuses on migrant women’s ability to seek remedies from the state for coercive control in Ireland and Spain. Her research aims to evaluate the significance of migration status to the concept of coercive control and its implementation; to explore structural factors shaping migrant women’s effective access to remedies and their position as right-claimants; as well as to critically evaluate the limits of possibilities of law in combating all aspects of intimate partner violence. She is supervised by Professor Siobhán Mullally. " Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

The Irish Centre of Human Rights has submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Committee to inform its List of Issues Prior to Reporting for Ireland’s next examination. The report focuses on various areas of concern: non-ratification of the OP to the CAT Convention; Direct Provision; Human Rights Protections in Residential Care Contexts; ‘Historical’ Institutional and Adoption-related Abuses; Traveller Housing and Institutional Racism; Undocumented Migrants’ Access to Basic Services to Enjoy the Right to Life in Dignity; Denial of Leave to Enter the State; Human Trafficking; Hate Crime Legislation; Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence; Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities; and Business and Human Rights. https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/IRL/INT_CCPR_ICO_IRL_42951_E.pdf  **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

The editors of the Irish Yearbook of International Law welcome expressions of interest from persons interested in taking on the role of Editor in Chief. Since its foundation, the Yearbook has always had two Joint Editors in Chief, supported by an editorial board, book review editor, and advisory committee. Professor Siobhán Mullally has edited the Yearbook since its inaugural volume (2006 Yearbook, published 2008), and Prof. Fiona de Londras has acted as Joint Editor in Chief since the 2011Yearbook (published 2013).  The primary responsibilities of the Editors in Chief are to liaise with the publisher (Hart Bloomsbury), generate and manage article submissions, oversee the commissioning and editing of correspondents’ reports, liaise with the book review editor to oversee generation of book reviews, and identify and collate the key documents on Ireland and international law that are published in each volume. The IYIL is published once per year, and the new Editors in Chief should be in place to take the lead on the 2020 Yearbook (to be published in 2021). The outgoing Editors in Chief will provide transitional support.   Expressions of interest in the form of a cover letter and CV should be sent to the outgoing editors, Prof Siobhan Mullally (Siobhan.mullally@nuigalway.ie) and Prof Fiona de Londras (f.delondras@bham.ac.uk) by August 30th, 2020. Decisions will be communicated by mid-September. We welcome combined expressions of interest from persons proposing to act as Joint Editors in Chief, or expressions of interest from individuals. In the latter case, we may propose the role be shared between two or more persons who express an interest.    **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

 The Irish Centre for Human Rights would like to congratulate Yassin Osman who has recently been awarded a position as an intern with the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute. Yassin is an LL.M student, and Kader Asmal fellowship awardee, studying international human rights law at the ICHR, researching internet shutdowns impact on civil and political rights.The internship is open to law students and newly qualified lawyers. Interns at IBAHRI’s London office support the aim of the institute in promoting and protecting human rights through capacity building and advocacy projects on pertinent human rights issues.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

  Professor Siobhán Mullally appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.  Professor Siobhán Mullally, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights has been appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children. The position will focus on the human rights of victims of trafficking in persons. Professor Mullally was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, following an open competitive selection process. As Special Rapporteur Professor Mullally will be responsible for taking action on human rights violations committed against trafficked persons and on situations in which there has been a failure to protect their human rights and to take effective preventive action. She will undertake country visits in order to study the situation in situ and formulate recommendations to prevent and/or combat trafficking, and protect the human rights of victims of trafficking in specific countries and/or regions, and will also submit annual reports to the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.  She will also present to the UN Security Council on the links between human trafficking and armed conflict. Commenting on the appointment, Professor Mullally said: Human Trafficking is a serious violation of human rights, often targeting people living in poverty, victims of discrimination, and people fleeing situations of armed conflict or persecution. COVID-19 has limited access to critical support services for victims of trafficking, and deflected resources away from preventive action. Closures of borders and limited access to safe, regular migration, combined with increases in unemployment and poverty, all increase risks of sexual, labour and other forms of exploitation. Children who are increasingly in online environments and not attending school regularly, are particularly at risk of trafficking. It is critical now that effective protection measures are taken to vindicate the human rights of victims of trafficking, and that Governments and the international community take seriously their obligations to prevent human trafficking.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

  The Irish Centre for Human Rights would like to congratulate Dr Jia Wang on her appointment as Assistant Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, Macau University of Science and Technology. Jia recently completed her PhD dissertation titled "Revolution and International Criminal Law: the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia" under the supervision of Prof Shane Darcy and Prof William Schabas in 2020. She will be teaching two master courses at Macau University of Science and Technology during the upcoming semester, one on International Crimes and Transnational Crimes and the other on Comparative Law.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

The Irish Centre for Human Rights is very pleased to announce that Kelsey Rhude will be joining the Centre as a Hardiman Scholar. Kelsey is a graduate of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, LL.M. programme in International Human Rights Law. Her PhD research project explores early applications of informal, non-adversarial transitional justice mechanisms in contexts without transition where armed conflict is protracted. The project aims to clarify the link between transitional justice and peacebuilding by confronting the limitations of the current framework for transitional justice. She will begin her doctoral studies at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in September 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Anita Ferrara. We look forward to welcoming Kelsey to our community of doctoral students at the Irish Centre for Human Rights and School of Law.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

  “The Irish Centre for Human Rights is very pleased to announce that Rania Muhareb will be joining the Centre as a Hardiman Scholar in September 2020. Rania is a graduate of Sciences Po in Paris and is currently a legal research and advocacy officer with Al-Haq in Ramallah. Her doctoral research considers the implications of applying the apartheid framework to modern contexts of institutionalised racial discrimination and oppression. Her supervisor is Prof Shane Darcy. We look forward to welcoming Rania to our community of doctoral students at the Irish Centre for Human Rights and School of Law”.     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

This week, LLM students Colin Carney, Sophie Fitzpatrick and Cassie Roddy-Mullineaux published an episode of the Irish Centre for Human Rights’ Human Rights Podcast investigating the anti-fracked gas movement in Ireland and on the international stage.  The episode, entitled ‘But Ireland Banned Fracking? Why we still Need to Talk about Fracked Gas’, is available on Soundcloud, Stitcher, Apple Podcast and through the ICHR website, .  In 2017, Ireland became the third European country to ban onshore fracking. Pervasive public concern about the environmental and health risks were the catalyst for the ban along with a relentless campaigning by grassroots movements throughout Ireland. Despite this crucial turning point, the anti-fracking movement is by no means at rest with the planned siting and construction of LNG terminals throughout Ireland. This podcast episode features interviews with key campaigners, one of whom is Johnny McElligott of Safety Before LNG. Safety Before LNG is an organisation based in North Kerry which is advocating to ban the importation of fracked gas into Ireland and to prevent the construction of a planned LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) terminal on the Shannon Estuary. In the podcast, Johnny speaks about his experience and work to date with Safety Before LNG and explains that his motivation is to protect the environment and sensitive ecosystems in the Shannon Estuary. He also highlights the damaging effects that fracking has for the health of communities in surrounding areas.  Other guests on the podcast episode include Brian Cuthbert and Jessie Dolliver, activists from Not Here Not Anywhere, a nationwide, grassroots group campaigning to end fossil fuel exploration and the development of new fossil fuel infrastructure in Ireland (including a further planned LNG terminal in Cork Harbour). They provide insight into the science behind LNG and Ireland’s prospects for a just transition. They also explain the European-wide anti-fracked gas movement.  Sophie, Cassie and Colin also speak to Tammy Murphy, Medical Advocacy Director for Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania. Tammy informs listeners about the harms that fracking inflicts on local communities in the US and explains why the issue is both transnational and urgent.  This podcast episode accompanies the LLM students’ work, with Johnny McElligott and Safety Before LNG as part of the Human Rights Law Clinic, to draft and explain the EU and international law justifications for a legislative ban on importing fracked gas into Ireland.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Emily Logan, Adjunct Professor to the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Commenting on her appointment, Ms Logan said: "With such a strong global reputation for excellence in the field of human rights teaching, research and advocacy, it is indeed a great honour to join the Irish Centre for Human Rights". Emily Logan previously served as Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, appointed by President Michael D. Higgins, from 2014 to 2019. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, a fifteen member Commission, is Ireland’s national human rights institution and national equality body, accounts to the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) and is accredited by the United Nations as an ‘A’ status institution. In October 2018, she was nominated by her peers across Council of Europe member states as Chair of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions. Prior to this, she served as Ireland’s first Ombudsman for Children from 2003 to 2014, appointed by President McAleese and accounting to the Oireachtas (Irish parliament). In 2008 she was nominated by her peers to the position of President of the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children. Emily’s contribution to the rights of the children of Ireland, in particular children without parental guardianship, children in the care of the State, separated children or those deprived of their liberty, is widely acknowledged. She has for many years appeared in multiple national and international fora, including before the Oireachtas for sixteen years and regionally and internationally at the Council of Europe and across all United Nations Treaty-based bodies, UN Charter-based bodies and engaging with Special Procedures mandate holders.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Prof. Guénaël Mettraux as Adjunct Professor (International Criminal Justice and International Criminal Law) to the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Professor Mettraux commenting on his appointment said:"I feel extremely honoured and privileged to be given the opportunity to contribute to an institution that has done so much to keep the light of human rights alive in an increasingly complicated time. I hope to contribute to a new generation of young women and men committed to the ideals of human rights." Prof. Dr. Guénaël Mettraux is a Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He is Presiding member of the European Union's Human Rights Review Panel. He appears as Defense counsel before international criminal jurisdictions. Over the past decade, he has represented several high-ranking military and civilian leaders accused of international crimes, including General Sefer Halilović (former Commander of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ljube Boškoski (former Minister of Interior of the Republic of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), General Ante Gotovina (General in the Croatian Army) and Assad Hassan Sabra (Special Tribunal for Lebanon – Rafik Hariri assassination). He also acts as a consultant before the International Criminal Court (including in the case Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (including in the case The Prosecutor v Mico Stanišić), the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (for former Head of State, Khieu Samphan). Dr Mettraux is a Professor of Law at Dickinson Law School, PennState, a guest lecturer at SciencePo, Paris, and a guest lecturer at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He has published extensively in the field of international criminal law. His scholarly works include three books: "International Crimes and the ad hoc Tribunals (OUP, 2005), "Perspectives on the Nuremberg Trial" (OUP, 2008) and "The Law of Command Responsibility" (OUP, 2009), which was awarded the Lieber Prize from the American Society of International Law. He is a member of the Editorial Committee of the Journal of International Criminal Justice and the Board of Editors of the International Criminal Law Review.

Students in the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights have created a website to help former residents of Ireland’s industrial schools and reformatories to use the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to access their personal records that are now held by various state and charitable agencies.  The website, www.mydatarights.ie, contains two written Information Guides which can be downloaded and used by anyone who was in an industrial or reformatory school.  The first Guide helps former residents of the schools through the process of accessing their records using the GDPR. It also provides information for relatives of those who were formerly detained and are now deceased. In addition, it contains template letters of request.  The second Guide helps people to navigate the website of the Data Protection Commission in order to register a complaint where they have encountered delays or difficulties in accessing their records. This Guide also contains the wording of potential arguments that can be made. The My Data Rights project was created in collaboration with the voluntary groups, Justice for Magdalenes Research and Adoption Rights Alliance, under the supervision of Dr Maeve O’Rourke. It is not intended as legal advice but rather as public information.  Speaking about the website's launch, LLM candidate and qualified solicitor, Cassie Roddy-Mullineaux, said: Data protection and the right of data access are fundamental rights protected under EU and Irish law. Unfortunately, survivors of ‘historical’ abuses in Ireland face many barriers when they attempt to access their information, including information which has been given to Commissions of Inquiry or Redress bodies. Through the My Data Rights Project, I hope we can empower survivors of 'historical' abuse in Ireland to use the GDPR to access their personal data.  LLM Candidate, Mary Harney, who is herself a survivor of both a Mother and Baby Home and an Industrial School, said: "The Department of Education’s Retention of Records Bill, proposed in 2019, would have prohibited all access to every document contained in the archives of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, and the Residential Institutions Redress Board and its Review Committee for 75 years. A concerted campaign by lawyers, academics, former residents and advocates halted the progress of that Bill in November 2019. My hope now is that the My Data Rights project helps survivors to take control of their own records and testimony. As I said to the Oireachtas Education Committee in November: When I testified before the Residential Institutions Redress Board I did so in good faith. I was not informed that my statement was to be sealed for 75 years. The Government’s Bill would create another generation of the disappeared of Ireland."

This week saw the publication of a new website dedicated to reaching a shared vision for, and ensuring the development of, the site of the last Magdalene Laundry to close in Ireland: at Sean McDermott Street in Dublin.  The Open Heart City website was created by LLM students, Kelly Ledoux, Cécile Harrault, Rebecca Naous and Sara Alerr, and Dr Maeve O'Rourke, as part of the work of the Irish Centre for Human Rights’ Human Rights Law Clinic and specifically as a result of the students’ pairing with the voluntary group, Justice for Magdalenes Research.  The website outlines a plan by a group of architects convened under the name ‘CoLab’ to consult with the local community and also with abuse survivors, academics, activists and others, leading to the production of a Vision Document for the Sean McDermott Street Magdalene Laundry site and a temporary Pavillion where members of the public can view and discuss the contents of that Vision Document. CoLab are also making efforts with others to bring the Sean McDermott Street Magdalene Laundry site back into temporary use as soon as possible.  The Open Heart City project is being assisted not only by the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway but also by the Centre for Ethics in Public Life and the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin, and the School of Architecture at Queen’s University Belfast. Over the past semester, LLM students from the Irish Centre for Human Rights have collaborated closely with M.Arch. students from both UCD and Queen’s University, demonstrating the value of discussion, investigation and creative endeavour crossing disciplinary boundaries. Key to our LLM students’ work on creating the Open Heart City website was the gathering and communication of a range of efforts that have been ongoing to bring about truth-telling and memorialisation regarding Ireland’s 20th century institutional and gender-based abuses and their continuing effects. The website contains a useful list of numerous previous official consultation reports and statements at the conclusion of inquiries regarding memorialisation. The website contains information for the general public about the possible meanings of memorialisation, and states’ legal obligations to ensure memorialisation in contexts of gross and systematic human rights violations, according to international law. The website also provides an introduction to the Sites of Conscience movement worldwide.  At www.openheartcitydublin.ie you will also find a summary of the LLM students’ efforts during and after the 2020 General Election to ascertain the views of elected representatives regarding a public call by a coalition of survivors, academics and practitioners, including several NUI Galway staff members, for the establishment of an independent national repository of historical care-related records in order to enable truth-telling and other forms of accountability for ‘historical’ abuses.  This work complements the efforts of other students in the LLM Human Rights Law Clinic, who are working with Adoption Rights Alliance and with several survivors of residential schools and Magdalene Laundries to progress the campaign for access to information concerning ‘historical’ abuses in Ireland. You can read more here, and we look forward to posting further updates on the LLM students’ clinical work in due course.

 Huge congratulations to our PhD student Jia Wang on her successful viva this morning: 'Revolution and International Criminal Law: The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia'    **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  'The ICHR has submitted an amicus curiae before the Constitutional Court of Colombia in the case of a woman trafficked from Venezuela into Colombia for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The amicus highlighted the following key issues: the gender dimension of trafficking and the principle of non-discrimination, and States’ due diligence obligations in the context of trafficking in persons, including the positive obligation to identify victims and to effectively investigate trafficking cases. The amicus was co-authored by Prof. Siobhán Mullally, and PhD researchers Judit Villena and Noemi Magugliani.'        **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the life and rights of people worldwide, and Europe is one of the most affected regions. At the beginning of March, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) asked the Irish Centre for Human Rights to collect relevant data and information on possible impact of state measures on the fundamental rights of people in Ireland. This piece of research, prepared by Dr Stefano Angeleri (NUI Galway) and Ms Hannah Grene (Barncat Consulting) contributed to the drafting of the first in a series of three-monthly FRA reports on the impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the 27 European Union Member States during the first weeks of the pandemic.   The FRA Report, which highlights rights-based approaches to public health emergencies across the EU member states, is available at: https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-eu-bulletin-1_en.pdf . The country study prepared by the Dr Angeleri and Ms Grene, on the impact of the Irish government measures in place until 24 March, is available at: https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/ireland-report-covid-19-april-2020_en.pdf . Further data collection and analysis is currently ongoing at the Irish Centre for Human Rights and will be published in May and June. If you wish to report any situation of particular concern or any important information for us to focus in our future reports, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Stefano Angeleri (email:  stefano.angeleri@nuigalway.ie).       **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  NUI Galway has a generous package of scholarships, taught and research, across all disciplines. Expand the menus below to find out more.  http://www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduate_scholarships/    **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Please check the following link for update:  https://www.glencree.ie/news/joint-academic-journal-update/  CALL FOR PAPERS Dealing with the Legacy of Conflict in Northern Ireland through Engagement & Dialogue  Peace IV Project Glencree Centre for Peace & Reconciliation in association with the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUIG   Check out the following link for all the relevant information or see below: Calling for Papers The Glencree Centre for Peace & Reconciliation Peace IV Project, in conjunction with the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University Ireland Galway (NUI Galway), will host a one-day Conference at NUI Galway in mid-November 2020 in conjunction with the launch of an Academic Journal. The conference will explore political, social and cultural developments in contemporary Northern Ireland post the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement of 1998. In particular, the Academic Journal will focus on Addressing the Legacy of Inter-Communal Violence through Facilitated Dialogue, which is the focus of the Peace IV Project. This is a key thematic debate encapsulated within the ongoing Peace Process as to how meaningful engagement, dialogue and perspective sharing with groups and individuals on the legacy of violence as a consequence of Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’ may in turn contribute to both official and unofficial legacy processes in Northern Ireland and the British Isles as a whole.  Papers are invited for submission across a broad multi-disciplinary spectrum and also from within the wider community of both academics and practitioners who are involved in fostering and developing inter-communal relationships and those that seek to address ongoing legacy issues of the conflict in Northern Ireland.  Submissions are invited to address the following key themes/questions that are important to explore within this context, including inter alia;  • The Language, Discourse & Identity around the issue of dealing with the legacy of intercommunal violence.  • Reconciliation, the obstacles to same and how it might be achieved.  • The Role of Geography whereby narrative and political memory is deeply embedded into the local landscape.  • The Impact of Gender and how Women’s Groups contribute to possible reconciliation in a post-conflict environment.  • How the experience of Victims and Survivors Groups can inform international audiences and other postconflict environments in developing transitional justice models.  This bespoke 2020 Academic Journal will be published in collaboration with the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway. All articles will be peer reviewed by the joint Editorial Team: Prof. Ray Murphy of the Irish Centre for Human Rights; Professor Patricia Lundy and Dr. Niall Gilmartin, both of Ulster University, Jordanstown. The Editorial Team are inviting contributions, in the first instance of 300 word Abstracts which should be submitted no later than 15th February 2020. Based on the review of Abstracts, the Editorial Team will invite final contributions. Final submissions should not exceed 3,000 words, should be referenced in accordance with the Chicago Referencing Style, be in Word (.docx) or equivalent format, and are due no later than 01 June 2020. Final contributions will be subject to a full peer review process and the Editorial Team will make final editorial decisions. All abstracts and subsequent final submissions should be directed to rory.finegan@glencree.ie by the stated deadlines.      **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED!   Rights and Rightlessness in Contemporary Migration    The Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, is hosting a conference on the theme of Rights and rightlessness in contemporary migration on May 14th and 15th 2020. The event will take place in NUI Galway and will bring together academics, practitioners, policymakers, and students working in the field of migration and asylum law and policy. Confirmed keynote speakers include Professor Violeta Moreno-Lax (Queen Mary University of London) and Dr Itamar Mann (University of Haifa). The themes that will be discussed at the conference include, but are not limited to, rights and extraterritorial migration control, rights and rightlessness at sea, climate change and contemporary migration, migration and gender, rights at borders, forced displacement, conflict and exploitation, SDGs and the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees. Further information on the conference and tickets are available at https://ichr-rightlessness-migration-conference.eventbrite.ie/, while the call for papers is available at https://bit.ly/379Hagl - deadline for submissions of paper proposals is February 29th, 2020.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

"The right to health of Venezuelan irregular migrants and human rights law: The case of Colombia"    Date: Wednesday 11 MarchTime: 1:00 - 2:00 pmVenue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights Dr Stefano Angeleri is a postdoctoral researcher at the Irish Centre for Human Rights - School of Law,  NUI Galway, and his research explores the relationships between human rights and sovereign powers in the area of migration and health at different levels of law (national, regional and international). Dr Angeleri has recently extended his research focus to the inter-American human rights system and to Latin American constitutionalism (under which social rights are largely justiciable and migration policies are overall less strict than in Europe). This seminar will overview how the Colombian legal system has responded to the health care needs of (a large number of) migrants fleeing from Venezuela,and whether compliance with international human rights law is achieved. The findings of this research constitute the background of a to-be-realised field-work on the complementary role of civil society and international actors in ensuring the health rights of Venezuelan irregular migrants in the city of Bogotá, Colombia.   Picture above: Paddy Dowling - The Independent/Care International    All welcome! ****      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights      

Brexit, Northern Ireland and Human Rights – the role of the Joint Committee on Human Rights with Emily Logan, first Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, and first Ombudsman for Children (Ireland) jointly hosted with the Department of Sociology and Political Science, NUI Galway                                                                                                  Date: March 4th                                                                                                 Time: 1-2pm,                                                                Venue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights  Promoting Children’s Rights, nationally and internationallywith Emily Logan, former Ombudsman for Children (Ireland)                                                                                               Date: March 4th                                                                                                       Time: 5-6pm                                                                   Venue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights All welcome!  ****      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights      

PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED Book Launch: Are you with me? Kevin Boyle and the Rise of the Human Rights Movement  Please join us for an event to celebrate the launch of Are You With Me? Kevin Boyle and the Rise of the Human Rights Movement with author Mike Chinoy, in conversation with Professor Donncha O’Connell, School of Law, NUI Galway. Introduction and welcome, Professor Siobhán Mullally, Established Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights.  This book tells the remarkable story of the late Prof. Kevin Boyle, one of the world's great human rights lawyers, scholars and activists. Kevin Boyle was Professor of Human Rights Law at NUI Galway, where he was the founder of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Kevin devoted his life to fighting for human rights, equality and justice, in Northern Ireland and internationally, working with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, and litigating before the European Court of Human Rights. Kevin guided Amnesty International’s campaign against apartheid in South Africa, and spearheaded efforts to defend Salman Rushdie as Director of Article 19, an international NGO dedicated to the fight for freedom of expression. He highlighted the abuses perpetrated by the British army and Northern Ireland police in a landmark case on behalf of seven Irish men who were interned without trial, beaten and tortured. Event is free but you must reserve your place on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/book-launch-tickets-97306282711   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights      

  Lunchtime Seminar Command Responsibility after Bemba By Judge Mettraux Friday 28 February Seminar Room ICHR – 12 to 1 pm Prof. Guénaël Mettraux Prof. Dr. Guénaël Mettraux is a Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He is Presiding member of the European Union's Human Rights Review Panel. He appears as Defense counsel before international criminal jurisdictions. Over the past decade, he has represented several high-ranking military and civilian leaders accused of international crimes, including General Sefer Halilović (former Commander of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ljube Boškoski (former Minister of Interior of the Republic of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), General Ante Gotovina (General in the Croatian Army) and Assad Hassan Sabra (Special Tribunal for Lebanon – Rafik Hariri assassination). He also acts as a consultant before the International Criminal Court (including in the case Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (including in the case The Prosecutor v Mico Stanišić), the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (for former Head of State, Khieu Samphan). Dr Mettraux is a Professor of Law at Dickinson Law School, PennState, a guest lecturer at SciencePo, Paris, and a guest lecturer at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He has published extensively in the field of international criminal law. His scholarly works include three books: "International Crimes and the ad hoc Tribunals (OUP, 2005), "Perspectives on the Nuremberg Trial" (OUP, 2008) and "The Law of Command Responsibility" (OUP, 2009), which was awarded the Lieber Prize from the American Society of International Law. He is a member of the Editorial Committee of the Journal of International Criminal Justice and the Board of Editors of the International Criminal Law Review.          

The Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway, is pleased to offer one doctoral scholarship in the field of transitional justice, examining the role of truth commissions and their relationships with criminal trial processes. (Further details on the research project are set out below). The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Dr Anita Ferrara, with the support of a Graduate Research Committee. The scholarship is valued at a total of € 16,000 per year, (inclusive of fees and stipend). The scholarship is tenable for a maximum duration of four years, renewable each year subject to satisfactory progress and recommendation by the Graduate Research Committee. The scholarship is available to full time students commencing their doctoral studies in the Irish Centre for Human Rights in April 2020. A limited amount of teaching and related duties will be required of scholarship holders, in fulfilment of duties under the scholarship award. The scholarships are open to Irish, other EU, and international applicants. The deadline for application is 8 March 2020.  No late applications will be accepted.  Research project aims and objectives: The aim of this research is to investigate the evolution of the theoretical underpinnings of the relationship between truth commissions and criminal prosecutions and look at their practical implications through the study of selected and relevant case studies. In the last decade, truth commissions (TRCs) have been increasingly implemented in combination with other transitional justice mechanisms, including domestic and international human rights trials.  Despite the growing simultaneous use of TRCs and trials, their relationship remains an understudied field of inquiry. There is now an emerging body of literature analysing the interaction between truth commissions and trials at a national, regional and international level (Ferrara 2015; Bisset 2011; Sikkink 2011; Schabas 2003-2004-2017; Flory 2015 and Minow 2019). More studies are needed to investigate how the sequencing and functioning of these two transitional justice mechanisms can be strengthened, so that one process does not hamper the effectiveness of the other, in terms of the objectives pursued. Operational arrangements between these two mechanisms need to be further explored as well as potential areas of conflict including: Information-sharing, confidentiality, witness protection and right to a fair trial. While UN agencies and international NGOs have strongly argued in favour of complementarity, further investigation is needed to examine how the division of labour can be effectively carried out between the two mechanisms and to identify the implications of other factors, such as the legal context, sequencing and timing. The research will explore in further details some of the challenges arising from the cooperation between these two mechanisms such as: Evidence-sharing: to understand opportunities and limitations of an information-sharing between truth commissions and prosecutions, looking in particular at the existing case law; Analysis of the larger implications of the judicialization of TRCs for future TRCs. Analysing the tension between right to truth/right to justice  How to apply: Please send a CV and a cover letter and supporting documentation to humanrights@nuigalway.ie , with email subject marked “PhD scholarship application.” If you have queries on the scholarships please contact Dr Anita Ferrara anita.ferrara@nuigalway.ie. In addition to the above, you must submit the following documents: 1. An outline of the proposed research methodology (how the applicant intends to carry out the proposed research), max 2 pages; 2 Two academic references: Please note that it is your responsibility to contact your referees to ensure that references are received before the closing date/time for this scholarship. 4. All academic transcripts. 5. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit satisfactory evidence of competence in written and spoken English, i.e., overall IELTS 6.5 (including a minimum of 6.5 in the reading and writing parts and no part below 6.0) or 90 in the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum of 22 (reading) and 24 (writing) and no part below 20.) 6. Fluency in Spanish (both oral and written) is highly desirable. All applicants will be notified of the final decision. Decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into about the decision. Applicants not awarded a scholarship may nevertheless be offered a place on the PhD programme. Recipients of the scholarship award are required to apply for external scholarship funding to the Irish Research Council or other funding bodies as directed by the PhD supervisor. If an external scholarship is awarded, the Irish Centre for Human Rights scholarship funding will cease from date of commencement of the external award.

UN Committee Against Torture delivers landmark admissibility decision in case of Elizabeth Coppin v Ireland  The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) has issued a landmark Admissibility Decision in the case of Elizabeth Coppin v Ireland.  The CAT has found that it has full jurisdiction to decide Elizabeth Coppin’s complaint alleging that Ireland has failed to investigate or to ensure accountability or comprehensive redress for the abuse that she suffered in three of Ireland’s Catholic Church-run ‘Magdalene Laundries’ from 1964 to 1968. Ireland now has four months to respond to the substance of Mrs Coppin’s complaint. The CAT’s Admissibility Decision can be accessed here.  Dr Maeve O’Rourke is a leading member of the legal team that filed the Individual Communication with the CAT in July 2018. She has advocated for many years before international and domestic human rights bodies regarding Ireland’s obligations to ensure accountability and comprehensive reparation, including truth-telling and guarantees of non-recurrence, in relation to the Magdalene Laundries and similar systematic institutional and gender-based abuses in Ireland. Dr O’Rourke co-directs the award-winning voluntary evidence-gathering and advocacy initiative in partnership with Hogan Lovells LLP, ‘Clann: Ireland’s Unmarried Mothers and their Children: Gathering the Data’. In December 2019 she convened a preliminary workshop at the Irish Centre for Human Rights examining the need and potential legislative basis for a national archive of historical care-related records. Read more about this initiative here. Several of the current projects in the ICHR’s LLM Human Rights Law Clinic focus on issues of access to information and truth-telling regarding Ireland’s legacy of social care-related abuse.  Grounds of Mrs Coppin’s substantive complaint  Elizabeth Coppin’s Individual Communication contends that Ireland has been on notice for decades that torture and ill-treatment occurred in Magdalene Laundries and that Mrs Coppin was so abused.  The complaint draws attention to the State’s extensive involvement with the Magdalene Laundries between 1922 and 1996, and to Elizabeth Coppin’s vulnerability as a child who had been removed from her family in infancy and detained in an Industrial School, where she was subjected to vicious assault and prolonged neglect, prior to her transfer to a Magdalene Laundry aged 14.  The complaint describes Elizabeth Coppin’s extreme suffering while she was involuntarily detained in three Magdalene Laundries and forced into constant, unpaid work in commercial laundry operations. Mrs Coppin states that in St Vincent’s Magdalene Laundry, Peacock Lane, she slept in a cell bolted from the outside with bars on the window. She states that throughout her detention she was denied any education and was ritually humiliated and denigrated, including through a prohibition on speaking, the imposition of a new name which was that of her tormentor from the Industrial School, and lack of access to adequate food, warmth and sanitation. Mrs Coppin recalls being subjected to punishments including solitary confinement, and states that for years she never knew if or when she would be released and feared that she would die in detention and be buried in a mass grave. Elizabeth Coppin’s Individual Communication alleges continuing violations of the following provisions of the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), which Ireland ratified in 2002: Article 12 of the Convention, alone and in conjunction with Article 16, on the basis that Ireland has never held a prompt and impartial investigation into the complaints of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment in the Magdalene Laundries. Mrs Coppin’s complaints to the police have not been investigated and Ireland has refused to establish the statutory investigation into systematic abuse in the Magdalene Laundries that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has been calling for since 2010. The only official investigation into the Magdalene Laundries was conducted by an Inter- Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen laundries, established in 2011. This Inter- Departmental Committee was not independent of the Government and had no mandate or powers to investigate allegations of human rights violations. Ireland’s official position is that there is no factual evidence to support allegations of systematic torture or ill treatment of a criminal nature in the Magdalene Laundries, and that in the absence of such evidence it does not propose to set up a specific Magdalene inquiry or investigation. Furthermore, despite the findings of the Inter-Departmental Committee, Ireland continues to insist that the Magdalene Laundries were institutions of a private nature and that the State has no liability in the matter.  Article 13 of the Convention, alone and in conjunction with Article 16, on the basis that Ireland has failed to ensure that Mrs Coppin and other survivors of the Magdalene Laundries have the right to complain to and have their cases examined by the competent authorities. Her complaints to the police have not been investigated. The civil proceedings she brought against the religious orders in 1999 were dismissed on the grounds that the passage of time meant that the nuns would not receive a fair trial. No other mechanism of complaint or examination is available to her domestically. On the contrary, the State has forced her to sign waivers of her rights of action against the State and the relevant religious congregations in exchange for receiving ex gratia payments from the State.  Article 14 of the Convention, alone and in conjunction with Article 16, on the basis that Ireland has failed to ensure that Mrs Coppin and other survivors of the Magdalene Laundries can obtain full redress for the violations suffered, including the means for as full rehabilitation as possible. In February 2013, the Taoiseach issued an official apology to women who had spent time in Magdalene Laundries, including Mrs Coppin, “for the hurt that was done to them, and for any stigma they suffered”. Following the apology, the State established a scheme to make financial awards and confer other benefits on survivors of the Magdalene Laundries on an ex gratia basis. Mrs Coppin accepted a financial award under the Scheme. However, the Scheme did not constitute full redress as described in the Committee’s General Comment No 3. The Scheme acknowledged no liability on the part of the religious congregations or the State and awards were contingent on waiver of all rights of action against the State. Moreover, Ireland has not honoured its representations to Mrs Coppin and to other survivors regarding several of the rehabilitative and restorative measures on offer under the Scheme.  Article 16 of the Convention, on the basis that Ireland’s failures and the resulting impunity of the State and relevant religious congregations constitute an affirmation by Ireland, by act and by clear implication, of Mrs Coppin’s treatment in the Magdalene Laundries. Mrs Coppin complains that this deliberate affirmation debases and humiliates her in a manner so severe as to amount to at least degrading treatment. In effect, Mrs Coppin complains that she is experiencing a ‘continuing situation’ of dignity violations sufficient to violate Article 16, commencing with her treatment in the Magdalene Laundries and continuing on account of the State’s treatment of her since that time. Admissibility arguments and decision Arguing against the admissibility of the Individual Communication, Ireland maintained that the CAT lacked temporal jurisdiction over Elizabeth Coppin’s complaint because the complaint ‘raises issues that relate to a period prior to the entry into force of the Convention for the State party’.  Ireland further argued that Elizabeth Coppin had failed to exhaust domestic remedies because she had not complained domestically about the State’s alleged failure to investigate or provide redress; rather, her complaints to the police in 1997 and 1998, and her attempted civil proceedings in 1999, were concerned with the substantive abuse in the Magdalene Laundries, and happened prior to Ireland’s ratification of the Convention. Ireland acknowledged that it had required Mrs Coppin to sign a waiver of her legal rights against the State and had therefore barred her from bringing civil proceedings, as a condition of receiving ex gratia payments from two prior schemes for survivors of Industrial Schools and Magdalene Laundries (in 2005 and 2014 respectively). However, Ireland argued, ‘the redress schemes operated on an entirely voluntary basis and she had an option to refuse the awards and bring proceedings before domestic courts.’  In its Admissibility Decision delivered on 20 January 2020, the CAT found Elizabeth Coppin’s Individual Communication to be admissible in full, for reasons including that:  ‘The Committee can examine alleged violations of procedural obligations under the Convention that occurred before a State party’s ratification or accession to the Convention or recognition of the Committee’s competence through its declaration under article 22, and of other obligations that have similar legal effect under the Convention.’ (para 6.3) ‘A State party can violate article 14 of the Convention, which requires States parties to ensure that victims of torture obtain redress, through a failure to investigate, criminally prosecute, or to allow civil proceedings related to allegations of acts of torture.’ (para 6.4) Mrs Coppin’s Individual Communication alleges that Ireland has affirmed its violations of Articles 12, 13 and 14 UNCAT on many occasions since the entry into force of the Convention for the State party and its declaration under article 22. (para 6.5) ‘The waivers signed by the complainant as a condition of participation in two domestic ex gratia schemes cannot alleviate the State party of its obligation to investigate allegations of continuing violations of the Convention brought to its attention, including the procedural aspects of the right to justice and to the truth (general comment No. 3, paras 16-17), and they do not impair the complainant’s right to bring an otherwise admissible communication to the attention of this Committee.’ (para 6.7) Further information Elizabeth Coppin’s legal team comprises Wendy Lyon, Solicitor, Abbey Law, supported by Hogan Lovells International LLP; and barristers Michael Lynn SC, Colin Smith BL, Lewis Mooney BL, Dr Maeve O’Rourke (Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway & 33 Bedford Row, London) and Jennifer MacLeod BL (Brick Court Chambers, London).  Elizabeth Coppin was invited to speak at the Oxford Union in May 2019 about her experiences in the Magdalene Laundries and her decades-long search for justice. The recording of Mrs Coppin’s speech is available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOAFgXcJkZ2xjH4u9_KbkkePU96qO5pdR Media interviews with Elizabeth Coppin and further coverage of her Individual Communication to the CAT include: Kitty Holland, ‘Magdalene survivor: ‘It feels like Ireland is abusing us again’ The Irish Times (17 February 2020) Kitty Holland, ‘Magdalene survivor’s UN case of key importance, lawyer says’ The Irish Times (17 February 2020) Kitty Holland, ‘Magdalene survivor takes case to UN torture committee’ The Irish Times (17 February 2020) Elizabeth Coppin, Newstalk Radio, The Pat Kenny Show (17 February 2020) Maeve O’Rourke, RTE News, Six One News (17 February 2020) Rónán Duffy, ‘The door to her cell was bolted’: Magdalene survivor takes case against Ireland to UN’ Thejournal.ie (17 February 2020) Jess Casey, ‘Irish woman forbidden to speak during time at Cork Magdalene Laundry takes case to UN torture committee’ The Irish Examiner (17 February 2020) Allison Bray, ‘Survivor of Magdalene Laundries to have her case heard by UN torture probe’ The Irish Independent (18 February 2020) Elizabeth Coppin, BBC Radio, Outlook, ‘Confronting the Nun Who Despised Me’ (14 November 2018) Ed O’Loughlin, ’50 Years Later, a Victim of Ireland’s ‘Laundries’ Fights for Answers’ The New York Times (26 October 2018)

  Statelessness, Rights and Deprivation of Citizenship: Case-studies from India and Myanmar Date: Thursday 13th of February 2020 Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway Time:  4pm to 6pm  Amal de Chickera is the co-founder and co-Director of the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI), which is the first and the only human rights NGO dedicated to working on statelessness at the global level. ISI is engaged in research, training and human rights advocacy in more than 50 countries worldwide, to highlight the issue of statelessness as a human rights concern.    All welcome!    ****      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

Researchers in the Masters of Law programme at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway have launched a project entitled ‘Ask About Direct Provision’ where they will publish election candidates’ views on Direct Provision using a twitter page and the hashtag #AskAboutDP.  Update: A website has also been created which provides information to the general public about Direct Provision and suggests questions to ask election candidates and their canvassers. The 'Ask About Direct Provision' website also records the responses received.  This project is part of the new Human Rights Law Clinic in the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUIG, where students work in partnership with voluntary, community-based groups to achieve human rights-based social change.  Stacy Wrenn, one of the group of LLM researchers who created the #AskAboutDP project, said:  ‘Ask About Direct Provision is a project coordinated by a group of LLM student researchers in the International Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway. We are working in partnership with the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), to put a spotlight on the direct provision system for the 2020 General Election.’ She continued: ‘As the twentieth anniversary of this supposedly ‘temporary’ system looms over us, we feel it is more important than ever that election candidates are held to account on their promises. Housing and healthcare are rightly dominating election discussion at the moment. Appropriate housing and healthcare are hugely important for people who come to Ireland seeking international protection, as is their right under international and European law.’  The aims of this project are to: Encourage people to ask candidates about Direct Provision  Make Direct Provision a key election issue Inform the public of candidates’ stances on Direct Provision  Highlight some key human rights issues regarding Direct Provision To achieve this, the NUIG group is contacting candidates nationwide to establish their position on the direct provision system, and making their responses publicly available on our Twitter page [@AskAboutDP]. The researchers will not be endorsing any candidates or political parties. They will share candidates’ responses without redaction. The researchers will also be providing information on both the lived experiences of asylum seekers in Ireland and the human rights-related impacts of Direct Provision, giving the public access to existing reports on the system in an accessible manner.  Read more: Sorcha Pollak, 'NUIG researchers call on election candidates to lay out direct provision plans' The Irish Times (27 January 2020)

  The Irish Centre for Human Rights & The Fulbright Commission In Ireland Present  Lunchtime Seminar   Urban Space and Political Protests: Insights from the Middle EastDr. Jillian SchwedlerHunter College, CUNY  Date: Friday, 7 February 2020 Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway Time: 1pm – 2:30 Abstract Urban development can have a major impact on political protests, primarily in terms of visibility and the ability to be disruptive. Drawing on original research in Amman, Jordan, and elsewhere in the Middle East, this talk will examine the ways in which the built environment shape the possibilities for political protests and the kinds of political work that they do.  About the Speaker Dr. Jillian Schwedler is Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York’s Hunter College and the Graduate Center and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Crown Center at Brandeis University.  During the Spring 2020 semester, she will be Visiting Professor and Senior Fulbright Scholar at the Center for Global and International Studies at the University of Salamanca, Spain.  Dr. Schwedler’s books include the award-winning Faith in Moderation: Islamist Parties in Jordan and Yemen (Cambridge 2006) and (with Laleh Khalili) Policing and Prisons in the Middle East (Columbia 2010).  Her articles have appeared in World Politics, Comparative Politics, Middle East Policy, Middle East Report, Middle East Critique, Journal of Democracy, and Social Movement Studies, among many others.  She is currently finalizing a book manuscript titled Protesting Jordan: The Time and Space of Political Dissent. All welcome!    ****      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  The Irish Centre for Human Rights in conjunction with the International Law Association (Irish Branch) invite you to attend Lunchtime Seminar: Beyond Food as a Weapon of War: Conflict, Hunger and Strategic Violence in Crisis With Dr Caitriona Dowd, Dublin City University  Date: Monday 17 February 2020 Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway Time: 12 noon to 1pm Short Abstract Violent conflict is the single greatest driver of acute food crises. This study analyses records of food-related violence in Africa over the past 20 years to identify patterns in the leveraging of food and food systems in contemporary conflict. Preliminary findings indicate that this violence is i) both common and increasing over time; ii) disproportionately directed at civilians; and iii) perpetrated by a diverse, and increasingly fragmented, range of (often informal) armed actors. The preliminary findings suggest the value of exploring continuities between atrocities and more quotidian acts of political violence, and point to potential challenges and opportunities for the application of international law in fragmented conflict environments. All welcome!  ****      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

The Irish Centre for Human Rights has submitted a report to the UN Commitee against Torture to inform Its List of Issues Prior to Reporting for Ireland's next examination. Please click on the following to read the report -  Report to the UN Committee Against Torture

  Reflections on Practising Queer Legal Theory and ‘Is Black Marriage Queer?’  Professor Kendall Thomas, Nash Professor of  Law; Director, Center for the Study of Law and Culture, Columbia Law School Date: Tuesday, 11th February Time: 4pm -5.30pm Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights  About the speaker: Kendall Thomas is the Nash Professor of Law and co-founder and director of the Center for the Study of Law and Culture at Columbia Law School. His teaching and research interests include U.S. and comparative constitutional law, human rights, legal philosophy, feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and law and sexuality. His past appointments include visiting professor at Stanford Law School and visiting professor in American studies and Afro-American studies at Princeton University. Thomas has taught or lectured in France, the Netherlands, England, The Czech Republic, Germany, Haiti, and South Africa. His writings have appeared in several academic journals and volumes of collected essays. Thomas is a co-editor of Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings that Founded the Movement, The New Press, 1996, and What's Left of Theory?, Routledge Press, 2000. Thomas was an inaugural recipient of the Berlin Prize Fellowship of the American Academy in Berlin and a member of the Special Committee of the American Center in Paris. He is the past chair of the jurisprudence and law and humanities sections of the Association of American Law Schools. Thomas is a founding member of the Majority Action Caucus of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Sex Panic! and the AIDS Prevention Action League. He is also the former member and vice chair of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis board of directors.   ALL WELCOME!      **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Lunchtime Seminar The Current Crisis in Nuclear Arms Control Law by Prof Dan Joyner, University of Alabama Wed 18 March 2020, Venue: ICHR seminar room Time: 1 to 2 pm There is a crisis in modern nuclear arms control law. With the demise of the 1987 INF and the uncertainty surrounding extension of the 2010 New START treaty, there is a real danger that, as of 6 February 2021, there will be no bilaterally agreed international legal limits on either the U.S. or Russia’s stockpiling and fielding of nuclear weapons and delivery systems. In this lecture, Professor Joyner will discuss and contextualize this crisis, consider its implications, and explain how the recently adopted Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons fits into it. Dan Joyner is the Elton B. Stephens Professor of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law.  He writes primarily on international nuclear energy and nuclear weapons law. He has written three monographs: International Law and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (OUP 2009), Interpreting the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (OUP 2011), and Iran’s Nuclear Program: From Confrontation to Accord (OUP 2016).  He is currently writing a fourth monograph entitled The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in its Context within Modern International Nuclear Weapons Law (OUP, anticipated 2021).  

  The Irish Centre for Human Rights and An Cumann Staire/History Society, NUI, Galway invite you to the Holocaust Memorial Event for 2020  Tomi Reichental A survivor of the Bergen- Belsen concentration camp, will discuss his experience of the Holocaust with Ben Barkow, former Director of London's Wiener Library - the world's oldest institution created for the documentation of the Holocaust.  Wednesday 29 January, 2020 at 6 pm sharp Venue: Human Biology Building, NUI Galway (near the O'Donoghue Centre)  Tomi Reichental was born in 1935 in Piestany Slovakia. In 1944 at age nine, he was captured by the Gestapo in Bratislava and deported to Bergen Belsen concentration camp with his mother, grandmother, brother, aunt and cousin. When he was liberated in April 1945, he discovered that 35 members of his extended family had been murdered. His grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all died in the Holocaust. Recounting the sights and smells at the concentration camp Tomi said:  “Typhoid and diphtheria were the biggest killers, but people were dying of starvation and cold in their hundreds. First the bodies were removed and burned, but later they were just piling up in front of our barracks, there were piles of decomposing bodies. The soldiers who liberated Belsen in April 1945 said they could smell the stench for two miles before they reached the camp. In the camp I could not play like a normal child, we didn’t laugh and we didn’t cry. If you stepped out of line, you could be beaten up even beaten to death. I saw it all with my own eyes.”  Tomi Reichental has lived in Dublin since 1959. In 2004, for the first time in 60 years, he broke his silence and began to speak about his experiences during the Holocaust. Thousands of students in schools all over Ireland have heard his story, and an RTÉ documentary film called I Was a Boy in Belsen was based on Tomi’s life. The film was directed by the Emmy award winning producer Gerry Gregg and retraces the events that swept away the Jewish presence in Central Europe from the point of view of a boy who couldn’t understand why. To mark his 80th birthday on the 26 June 2015, the Board of Trustees of HETI (Holocaust Education Trust of Ireland) established a scholarship in Tomi Reichental’s name. It will be awarded annually in perpetuity to a deserving candidate to enable her or his participation in one of the Holocaust education programs. The scholarship is in recognition of Tomi Reichental’s immense contribution to Holocaust awareness and education over many years. Tomi has received many awards, most recently the Bar Councils Human Rights Award for 2019. The discussion at NUI Galway will be followed by a Q&A session.  Ben Barkow recently retired from London's Wiener Library - the world's oldest institution created for the documentation of the Holocaust - where he had worked for 32 years, 20 of them as its Director. Today he is chair of the Academic Advisory Board of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, which is creating Britain's national Holocaust memorial next to the houses of Parliament. He is also on the advisory board of the Imperial War Museum's planned new permanent Holocaust exhibition and is a trustee of a number of a number of Holocaust-related charities.  He has written and edited several books and will this year publish with Granta a translation of two texts by the Library's founder:The Crisis of Antisemitism: Two Pamphlets by Alfred Wiener, 1919 & 1924.  Admission is free but early arrival is advised.    ALL WELCOME!      **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Seminar UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MINORITY ISSUES Professor Fernand de Varennes Adjunct Professor of Human Rights, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway   ‘MIGRATION, LANGUAGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS’ Tuesday 21 January 12-1pm Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights   About the speaker Fernand de Varennes is Extraordinary Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria (South Africa), Adjunct Professor at the National University of Ireland-Galway (Ireland), and Cheng Yu Tung Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong (China). He was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues by the Human Rights Council and assumed his functions on 1 August 2017. Fernand de Varennes’ work and commitment focusses on the human rights of minorities, as well as the prevention of ethnic conflicts, the rights of migrants, the relationship between ethnicity, human rights and democracies, and the use of federalism and other forms of autonomy arrangements to balance competing cultural interests.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights            

Watch the Philip Alston Public Lecture  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfNoIdsipuw  Public Lecture "What does Climate Change really have to do with Human Rights?" Jointly organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Galway, Ryan Institute, NUI, Galway and the Human Rights Committee, Bar of Ireland Thursday 19th December 2019 Venue: Atrium, Distillery Building, The Bar of Ireland, 145-151 Church Street, Dublin 7 Time: 12.30-2pm Chair:  Hon. Mr Justice Frank Clarke, Chief Justice of Ireland CPD 1.5 points available  Event is free but you must reserve your place on Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/climate-change-poverty-and-human-rights-by-philip-alston-un-sr-tickets-83586610803 BIO: Philip Alston was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in June 2014, by the Human Rights Council. He is John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and has previously taught at various law schools around the world, including the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Harvard Law School, Australian National University, and the European University Institute. Professor Alston has also served the United Nations in various capacities since the 1980s.  He was the first Rapporteur of the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights from 1987 until 1990, and then chaired the Committee for eight years until the end of 1998.  During this period, he played a central role in efforts to reform and streamline the U.N. treaty body system and, as an Independent Expert appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General, he reported to the General Assembly on measures to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the U.N. human rights treaty bodies (reports in 1989, 1993 and 1997).  Between 2002 and 2007, he served as Special Adviser to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Millennium Development Goals, and between 2004 and 2010, as Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions.  He was also Unicef’s legal adviser throughout the process of drafting the Convention on the Rights of the Child. All welcome!  **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Lunchtime Seminar ‘Safe Zones: An International Lawyer's Perspective’  Dr Bríd Ní Ghráinne, Faculty of Law, Masaryk University  Monday 25th November 2019 Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights Time: 1-2pm  About the seminar:As the numbers of displaced persons generated by the Syrian conflict rises, and the political will to accept refugees falls, it is unsurprising that Turkey is moving towards the establishment of a safe zone in Syria. This seminar will introduce the project ‘Safe Zones and International Law’, a two-year research project, which aims to provide the first comprehensive legal analysis of safe zones in international law. It will identify how and when safe zones can be legally established; their relationship with refugee, human rights, and international law; and how states’ legal obligations can be monitored and enforced in safe zones.    All welcome!    **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Lunchtime Seminar   Republic of Conscience: Human Rights and Modern Irish Poetry   Dr Rióna Ní Fhrighil,  Lecturer, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, NUI Galway   Date: Tuesday, November 26thTime: 1pm-2pmVenue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights     The triadic relationship between poetry, human rights and literary translation is at the heart of the research project Republic of Conscience: Human Rights and Modern Irish Poetry upon which this presentation is based. Cognisant that Percy Bysshe Shelley claimed that “poets were the unacknowledged legislators of the world”, this presentation will critically examine the relationship between poetry, human rights, and activism in an interconnected world. What is the role of the poet in times of great crises? To what extent, if at all, have Irish poets engaged critically with the concept of human rights itself? What is the relevance of the national paradigm in an era of global networks where information, capital, goods, and discourse transverse geographical and political borders? This presentation will also include a discussion of the opportunities inherent in, and the challenges posed by, interdisciplinary research of this type.   Dr. Rióna Ní Fhrighil is a lecturer in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She has published extensively on twentieth-century Irish poetry and literary translation and is the author of Briathra, Béithe agus Banfhilí (2008), a monograph on the poetry of Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Eavan Boland. She is co-editor of the peer-reviewed journal LÉANN and of a forthcoming special edition of the international journal Translation Studies titled Translation in Ireland: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. Rióna was the principal Irish-language researcher on the AHRC-funded project, The Representation of Jews in Irish Literature. In 2018 she was awarded substantial research funding under the prestigious IRC Laureate Award scheme for her project Republic of Conscience: Human Rights and Modern Irish Poetry. She is also co-director of the interdisciplinary project Aistriú, funded by Galway 2020 as part its European Capital of Culture programme.     All welcome!       **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter:https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights         

  A Briefing by Khaled Quzmar Director General. Defense for Children International (Palestine) Date: Monday 25th November Time: 5 – 6pm Venue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights   Khaled Quzmar did his Masters at the Human Rights Centre in NUIG, after which he went on to work as a defense lawyer, advocating for children facing Israeli military courts. He has gone on to undertake a variety of legal, research and managerial roles, working to defend and promote the human rights of Palestinian children who are living under a military occupation inflicted on them by Israel. Defense for Children International operates all over the world, and Khaled is the General Commissioner in eight sections in N. Africa and the Middle East. He is also Vice President and Advisor to the Pacific and Asian sections of the organisation. He will participate in the Global Child Forum, which promotes children’s rights primarily by focusing on the business sector, promoting evidence based best practice developed through research needs identified in regional forums.    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

  Refugee and Migration Law Seminar Series ‘Seeking Sustainable Social Change through the use of the Law – More Rights for More Women’    Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI GalwayDate: Tuesday 26th November 2019Time: 2.30pm to 3.30pm Gema Fernandez is a Managing Attorney at Women’s Link Worldwide, an international non-profit organization that uses the power of the law to promote social change that advances the human rights of women and girls, especially those facing multiple inequalities. At Women’s Link she has litigated cases before national, regional and international courts related to human trafficking, sexual and reproductive rights and discrimination against women. All welcome!   ****       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

 Public event with the UN Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, Ms. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio  Venue: The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, (16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7) Date: Friday, 29th November 2019 Time: 10.30 am to 1pm  Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2014, and her mandate was renewed in March 2017. She served as Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe between 2002 and 2012. Ms de Boer-Buquicchio spearheaded the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. She is the President of the European Federation for Missing and Exploited Children.  The Rapporteur will discuss her recent country report on Ireland from March 2019, which assessed the situation regarding the sale and sexual exploitation of children and evaluated the national child protection system in Ireland. One area of concern highlighted was the human rights abuses arising from “historical precedents of illegal and irregular adoptions in Ireland that impact the situation today”.  Following her presentation, there will be a roundtable of views presented by human rights advocates, including Dr Maeve O’Rourke (the Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUIG), Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley (School of History, NUIG), Mary Harney (LLM Candidate in International Human Rights Law / ReSister), Claire McGettrick (co-founder of Adoption Rights Alliance and JFM Research / IRC postgraduate scholar, UCD School of Sociology), and Patrick Corrigan (Head of Nations & Regions / NI Programme Director, Amnesty International UK).  This event is free and open to the public, but please register in advance on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/public-event-with-the-un-rapporteur-on-the-sale-and-sexual-exploitation-of-tickets-80438348265  All welcome!  

  Live Screening:  Ireland’s examination by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination  Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human RightsWhen:  Monday 2nd December, 2 – 6pm Tuesday 3rd December, 9am – 1pm  On 2nd and 3rd December, the Irish Government will be examined before the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva. Numerous civil society groups, including the Irish Centre for Human Rights, have made submissions to the Committee.  The Irish Centre for Human Rights is organising a live screening of the examination. The screening will run from 3pm - 6pm on Monday, December 2nd, and 10am - 1pm on Tuesday, December 3rd.   This event is free, open to all members of the public, and will have refreshments provided. Please register your attendance here.   Attendees are welcome to join for all or part of the event, and to come and go throughout each day.  The Shadow Report submitted by Irish Centre for Human Rights to the Committee highlighted (among other issues) the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities, discrimination against Traveller communities, domestic violence and migrant status, the rights of mixed race survivors of ‘historical’ abuse in institutional settings, and climate justice. The full report can be found here: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CERD/Shared%20Documents/IRL/INT_CERD_NGO_IRL_38607_E.pdf  All other reports to the Committee, by civil society, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, and the Irish State are available here: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1338&Lang=en  Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/live-screening-irelands-examination-before-the-cerd-committee-tickets-82866111771  All welcome! ****    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  Lunchtime Seminar  "From casework to advocacy: Facilitating access to justice as an NGO" by Fiona Hurley, Policy and Communications Manager at Nasc  Date: Wednesday, November 20th Time: 1pm-2pm Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights   Nasc, the Irish word for ‘link’, empowers migrants to realise and fulfil their rights. Nasc works with migrants and refugees to advocate and lead for change within Ireland’s immigration and protection systems, to ensure fairness, access to justice and the protection of human rights. Nasc's goal is to realise the rights of all migrants and refugees within Irish society.   Fiona Hurley is the Policy and Communications Manager at Nasc. She holds a Bachelor of Law degree (BCL), a Masters in Laws (LLM) from University College Cork and a diploma in Leadership and Management. She has a particular interest in social justice and the protection of human rights and joined the Nasc team in 2010. Fiona worked for nine years in the Legal Service and most recently held the position of Legal Service Manager for 3 years. She has extensive experience in immigration and protection law as well as providing capacity building and training to organisations on immigration law and its intersection with housing, social welfare, education and health entitlements.   All welcome!  

   Lunchtime Seminar Caroline Sweeney, ‘Justice for Syria: Is the International Criminal Court now a Realistic Option?’ Date: Monday 18th November 2019 Time: 1pm to 2pm Venue: Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway Syria has been engulfed in a brutal armed conflict for over seven years. Numerous internal and external actors have directly participated in the hostilities, which have been characterised by a blatant disregard for the rules of international law. Despite attracting virulent condemnation, apart from a few prosecutions in European states, there has been widespread impunity for international crimes committed in Syria since 2011. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is arguably the most suitable forum for prosecuting alleged perpetrators. However, the Prosecutor has yet to even open an investigation due primarily to the inability to establish a precondition for the exercise of jurisdiction. This presentation examines if this situation is now likely to change in light of a number of recent and controversial decisions of the Court, namely: (i) Pre-Trial Chamber I’s ruling that the Court may exercise jurisdiction on a territorial basis over the alleged deportation of members of the Rohingya people from Myanmar, a non-state party to the ICC Statute, to Bangladesh, a state party, because an element or part of the alleged crime took place on the territory of a state party; and (ii) Pre-Trial Chamber II’s refusal to authorise an investigation proprio motu into the situation in Afghanistan since May 2003 on the grounds that it would not serve the interests of justice. All welcome!    

  An Evening with Sally, Hayden, Award-winning freelance journalist and photographer focused on migration, conflict and humanitarian crises  Venue: AM200, Arts Millennium Building, NUI GalwayDate: Tuesday 12 November 2019Time: 6.15pm  Sally Hayden is an Irish journalist and photographer focused on migration, conflict, and humanitarian crises. She has reported across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, for outlets including VICE News, BBC, the Washington Post, Newsweek, CNN International, Al Jazeera, the Irish Times, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, RTE, ELLE, Magnum Photos, and many others. She was a first prize winner at the European Migration Media Awards in 2018, for her work on Syrian refugee returns, and won 'foreign correspondent of the year' at the Irish Journalism Awards, for reports from Syria, northeast Nigeria, and Sudan. She was also a finalist for the Amnesty International, One World Media, Frontline Club and Kurt Schork International Journalism Awards, and sat on Transparency International's International Anti-Corruption Award committee.  All welcome!   ****       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Lunchtime Seminar Karen Hoffman, Attorney at Law Aldea – The People’s Justice Centre ‘Representing immigrant detainees and separated migrant families in the USA’ Date: Friday 15th November 2019 Time:  1pm to 2pm Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway    Karen Hoffman is a Philadelphia based attorney, with Syrena Law, specialising in the rights of refugees, migrants, detainees, communities and nature. She works with Aldea-The People's Justice Center and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund,  representing detained and separated immigrant families in the USA, and communities engaged in disputes relating to rights to water, land, air. She has worked extensively NGOs and pro-bono lawyers, as a lawyer and previously as a freelance journalist, focusing on human rights and environmental justice in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has lived and worked in Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, covering indigenous struggles, threatened human rights defenders, and police militarisation, and the rights of migrants and refugees, in Greece and the U.S.   All welcome!    **** Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

  The Sexual Politics of Freedom May 22nd & 23rd 2020 Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway Keynote speakers: Prof Ratna Kapur (QMUL) and Prof Linda Martín Alcoff (CUNY) At stake in framing the theme of this conference in terms of ‘the sexual politics of freedom’ as opposed to ‘the politics of sexual freedom’ is to draw our attention to the ways in which the politics of freedom has always been implicated in sexual politics (Bhattacharyya 2008, Butler 2016, Kapur 2018). Such a sexual politics is rooted in the histories of colonialism, secularism, and progress and attuned to a temporality and geography of European "civilization" and liberalism (Mohanty 1988, Spivak 1993). Such a political logic has onto-epistemologically placed limits upon our capacities to imagine a politics of freedom. The hegemonic account of liberal feminism which pervades discourse on human rights, justice and equality, both within and outside the academy, has meant that much of our scholarship and theorising has taken place in the shadow of, and in response to this liberal rendering of feminist politics. Such a fact has meant, we have engaged in a logic of self-sabotage, preventing us from thinking critically about and articulating, on our own terms, new forms of feminist struggle for freedom (Phillips 2019). With this conference, we hope to explore and begin to address this problematique, refusing the questions posed of women who do not conform to the liberal ideal of "female" freedom, as to why they would "subject" themselves to a life within a so-called "patriarchal order." Such an experience is one many of us who research and write about the lives of women living in the non European ‘World’ encounter on a regular basis in explaining and analysing why freedom for these women need not align with gender- and identity-neutral onto-political presuppositions of liberal subjectivity and the hegemonic paradigm of human rights discourse (Alcoff 2006). At stake, still, is the problem of subalterneity, and the location of such women in the place of "disappearance," which Spivak (1988) describes as ‘the violent aporia between subject and object status.’ Taking our lead from the work of Saba Mahmood and Lila Abu-Lughod, we raise the question of the sexual politics of freedom from a non-Kantian conception of ethics as Idea (Colebrook 1998), exploring rather, the ethical lives and practices of women struggling for freedom. Such an approach, inspired by Mahmood (2005/12) and Foucault (1988, 1989) opens up a space for us to understand more clearly how practices – ethical, religious, social, and political – are concerned not simply with the regulation of life, but the constitution of an embodied form of agency and subjectivity which is particular to its own contexts and conceptions of freedom. What can a feminist politics of freedom that centres and begins with the experiences, lives and struggles of women look like (Narayan & Harding 2000)? What would our thinking and research become if the work of post-colonial feminists and the experiences (cf. Alcoff and Potter 1993) of non-European women were not an afterthought (Bhambra 2014), a footnote, a feature of the Undercommons (Moten and Harney 2013), a final lecture to be rushed through before exam preparation? At stake in short, is an invitation to scholars and activists motivated by any of the concerns and provocations raised here, to assemble, accompany one another, think together, and engage in critique concerning the sexual politics of freedom. The Irish Centre for Human Rights, at the National University of Ireland - Galway, invites potential participants from across the disciplinary spectrum to submit papers of 20 minutes duration. Topics and themes which presenters may like to explore in their papers include, but are not limited to the following: •Frames of recognition and apprehension •Feminist Epistemologies •Epistemic injustice •The myth of "neutral objectivity" •Re-thinking the basis of feminist solidarity •Ethics, gender and embodiment •Feminism in and outside of the "teaching machine" •Challenges for contemporary human rights practice •The politics of sexual time •Feminist practice beyond Eurocentrism •Sec(x)ularism and Islamophobia •Theorising subject formation •Refusing subjecthood •Differential allocations of grievability •Feminist conceptions of freedom •Feminist solidarity •Sex, gender and rights Please submit abstracts (approx. 250 words) to sexualpolitics.freedom@gmail.com by the 21st of February 2020. The abstracts should be submitted as a world/pdf attachment, and contain the authors name, institutional affiliation, and a summary of the proposed paper. For further information or queries contact conference organiser Hasret Çetinkaya (h.cetinkaya1@nuigalway.ie) A registration fee for attendance and participation will apply for The Sexual Politics of Freedom Conference. For more details see: https://thesexualpoliticsoffreedom.blogspot.com/p/registration.html          Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Lunchtime Seminar Dr. Caroline Sweeney, University of Limerick, ‘Justice for Syria: Is the International Criminal Court now a Realistic Option?’ Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway Date: Monday 18 November 2019 Syria has been engulfed in a brutal armed conflict for over seven years. Numerous internal and external actors have directly participated in the hostilities, which have been characterised by a blatant disregard for the rules of international law. Despite attracting virulent condemnation, apart from a few prosecutions in European states, there has been widespread impunity for international crimes committed in Syria since 2011. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is arguably the most suitable forum for prosecuting alleged perpetrators. However, the Prosecutor has yet to even open an investigation due primarily to the inability to establish a precondition for the exercise of jurisdiction. This presentation examines if this situation is now likely to change in light of a number of recent and controversial decisions of the Court, namely: (i) Pre-Trial Chamber I’s ruling that the Court may exercise jurisdiction on a territorial basis over the alleged deportation of members of the Rohingya people from Myanmar, a non-state party to the ICC Statute, to Bangladesh, a state party, because an element or part of the alleged crime took place on the territory of a state party; and (ii) Pre-Trial Chamber II’s refusal to authorise an investigation proprio motu into the situation in Afghanistan since May 2003 on the grounds that it would not serve the interests of justice.       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Irish Research Council PhD scholarships Three Irish Research Council PhD scholarships have been awarded to Irish Centre for Human Rights incoming, and current PhD students: Keelin Barry (Reception conditions for asylum seekers with disabilities), Noemi Magugliani (Male victims of trafficking and access to protection) and Sahara Nankan (Hardiman PhD Scholar) (Gender, Water and Sanitation rights).    (Pictured here, L to R, Professor Eilionóir Flynn, Professor Siobhán Mullally, Noemi Magugliani, Keelin Barry, Sahara Nankan and Clíona de Bhailís).       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

    REFUGEE AND MIGRATION LAW SEMINAR SERIES  'The Dream of a Borderless Africa: Migration, Free movement & African Union Law' Date: Thursday 10th October    Time: 3-4pm Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway    About the speaker:  Dr Femi Amao is a Reader in Law at the Sussex Law School. He is the author of African Union Law: The Emergence of a Sui Generis Legal Order (Routledge, 2019) and Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Rights and the Law: Multinational Corporations in Developing Countries (Routledge, 2011). His research has appeared in leading law journals including, Australian Journal of Corporate Law, Journal of African Law, Journal of Business Ethics, Dublin University Law Journal, Australian Journal of Legal Philosophy, Journal of International Economic Law. He runs a database for Nigerian law (www.nlii.org), and is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. He is the PI for the AHRC funded African Union Law Research project. (http://africanunionlaw.org/)       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  The Irish Centre for Human Rights welcomed the inaugural BCL Law and Human Rights 1st years to the centre, with Programme Director Dr Maeve O’Rourke and ICHR Director, Prof Siobhán Mullally.  

    Biography   Owen Moriba Momoh KaiCombey, a Sierra Leonean, and a law graduate from the University of Liverpool, UK.  He is a first year Hardiman Scholar, pursuing a Structured PhD at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law under the supervision of Dr Kathleen Cavanaugh.   PhD Topic   Owen’s current research topic is "Constitutionalism and the Question of the 'Colonial Deficit' in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Examination of Selected African States". His research seeks to investigate the challenges to the development of legal accountability and good governance systems in Africa, using a multidisciplinary approach, and engaging both doctrinal and empirical research methods.          Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  The Human Rights Podcast     On 18 September we published the pilot episode of The Human Rights Podcast, a new podcast from the Irish Centre for Human Rights. It is available now on Soundcloud and will shortly be available on Apple Podcast and Stitcher.   The purpose of the podcast is to share the work, ideas and debates that go on here in the ICHR and more broadly in NUI Galway with a wider audience. We look forward to publishing interviews with some of the world-leading academics, policy-makers and practitioners who visit us during the year, and with members of our staff and student community.   In our pilot episode of The Human Rights Podcast, we speak to Professor Donncha O'Connell about Ireland's progress towards a human rights-based approach to policing. Among the many topics we discuss are community policing, state security and access to justice.   This episode is published on the first anniversary of the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing, entitled 'The Future of Policing in Ireland'. You can access the Report here: www.policereform.ie/   See Professor Donncha O'Connell's bio here: www.nuigalway.ie/business-public-…donnchaoconnell/   With thanks to Tom Felle, Head of Journalism and Communications at NUI Galway, for the use of the journalism recording studio at NUI Galway.   Producer: Noemi Magugliani ‌‌ 

  Ryan Institute & Irish Centre for Human Rights Climate Justice Lecture Series 2019 - 2020   CLIMATE JUSTICE: WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT? An Evening with Activists On the occasions of the UN Climate Summit & Global Climate Strike Date: Monday 23 September 2019Time: 6pmVenue:  Aula Maxima (Ground Floor), Quadrangle, NUI, Galway   Speakers will include: Niamh Garvey (Trocaire)Bulelani Mfaco (Movment of Asylum seekers in Ireland)Saoirse McHugh (Green Party)Sadhbh O’Neill (Climate Case Ireland & Stop Climate Chaos)Eddie Mitchell (Save Leitrim & Love Leitrim Campaigns) NUI Galway Students  THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBIC!  Learn more and register here (tiny.cc/climatejustice)  All welcome!   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

   Award of NUI Dr Peter Sutherland Travelling Studentship in European Studies to Niamh Keady-Tabbal.  Congratulations to Niamh, incoming PhD student and Hardiman scholar on the award of this prestigious NUI 4 year Travelling studentship to support her doctoral research under the supervision of Professor Siobhán Mullally. Niamh’s PhD project examines refugee status determination procedures and access to international protection following the EU Turkey deal.    

 Dr Maeve O’Rourke featured in leading Italian daily newspaper, La Repubblica, in a presentation of 100 women, changing the world. The article highlights Dr O’Rourke’s human rights advocacy work calling for justice for survivors of Magdalene Laundries, and engaging with UN Committee Against Torture.   ‌‌ 

 Dr Shane Darcy is presenting on his forthcoming book, To Serve the Enemy (Oxford University Press) at the Centre for International Law, University of Singapore, August 26 2019. The event is co-hosted with the International Law Association.     ‌ 

  Video of the Public Lecture by Fatou Bensouda, ICC Prosecutor 24th Jun 2019 Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to speak at 20th Anniversary Summer School at NUI Galway  Ms Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will deliver a public lecture during this year’s annual Summer School on the International Criminal Court taking place at NUI Galway from 24-28 June 2019. This special event marks the 20th anniversary of this world-renowned Summer School hosted each year by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University’s School of Law.  Prosecutor Bensouda will deliver a public lecture at 6pm on Monday 24 June 2019 in the Human Biology Building at NUI Galway. The title of the lecture is “Whither a ruled-based global order and the import of international criminal justice”. This event of jointly hosted by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and will be chaired by Supreme Court judge Peter Charleton.  The International Criminal Court seated in the Hague is the world’s principal court for the prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression. The Prosecutor plays a pivotal role in investigating and prosecuting serious atrocities and has overseen investigations of alleged crimes in countries such as Libya, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Georgia. This year’s ICC Summer School will comprise a series of lectures and seminars by leading practitioners and experts on international criminal law examining the law, policy, challenges and achievements of the International Criminal Court since its establishment.    “We are exceptionally honoured to welcome Prosecutor Bensouda to NUI Galway and to the 20th anniversary Summer School”, said Dr. Shane Darcy, Deputy Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. “We look forward to gaining her insights on the Court’s role in a rule-based global order and on the challenges currently facing international criminal justice”.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

    Biography Niamh Keady-Tabbal will begin her doctoral research in September 2019 as a Hardiman Scholar under the supervision of Prof Siobhan Mullally. Her research explores how the EU-Turkey Agreement has shaped asylum policy and practice on the Aegean Islands in Greece. It focuses on the exclusionary role played by ‘vulnerability’ assessments by exploring the impact intersecting discourse on humanitarianism and border security have had on access to asylum seeking. After graduating from Trinity College Dublin with a BA in Middle Eastern Studies and French, Niamh worked with a range of NGOs supporting refugees and asylum seekers in camps across Greece. She is currently completing an LLM in International Human Rights Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.         Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Biography Parisa Zangeneh is a lawyer and is currently a consultant at the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide. She has completed internships in Chambers at the International Criminal Court, the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.        PhD Topic   The present legal framework of the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) depends on the participation of states for it to function, and it also seeks to place the primary responsibility for prosecutions of international crimes on states, which is also known as the principle of complementarity. However, the Rome Statute, the foundational document of the ICC, does not contain a definition of what constitutes a “state”. In the future, states will inevitably dissolve and re-form themselves, and the ICC will not be able to engage with all actors that are not clearly recognized as states. Also, indigenous groups, which may need to request the ICC’s assistance, do not clearly fall under the presumption of statehood upon which the ICC is based. This research seeks to fill the gaps in our knowledge regarding why and how the ICC has been designed to interact only with states and not with the multitude of actors that may need its assistance.        Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

Appointment of UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Dr Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, as Adjunct Professor of Human Rights, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway. We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, as an Adjunct Professor of Human Rights. This appointment further strengthens the Irish Centre’s engagement with and support for the UN Special Procedures and multilateral system for the protection of human rights. Dr Giammarinaro’s extensive experience at EU, OSCE and UN levels, promoting a human-rights based approach to trafficking in persons, will be of great benefit to our students working in the fields of international migration, refugee protection, peace operations and human rights law, in particular. Commenting on her appointment, Dr Giammarinaro said: “As UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, I’m aware that the protection of the human rights of its victims requires sustained and joint efforts involving institutions, civil society, media and academia. Trafficking implies severe exploitation, often amounting to slavery and forced labour, and frequently targeting migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, members of minorities, displaced persons, and people fleeing conflict, persecution and discrimination including gender-related discrimination. In many countries governments’ measures to counteract human trafficking have had negative impacts on trafficked persons’ rights. I’m proud and grateful for my appointment as Adjunct Professor at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. This connection gives me the opportunity to share my experience as Special Rapporteur, especially with a view to identifying the need for further reform of international standards, and their implementation. It will also provide an opportunity for exchanges of ideas and discussion on new strategies to combat this serious human rights violation, and to promote the social inclusion of trafficked and exploited persons as the ultimate goal of any legislation and policy.”    Dr. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro has served as a Judge in Italy since 1991. She previously served as a Pre-Trial Judge at the Criminal Court of Rome, and currently serves as a Judge in the Civil Court of Rome. From March 2010 to February 2014 she was the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). In this position she hosted the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, a platform for consultation and cooperation including UN Agencies, International Organizations and NGOs. She served from 2006 until 2009 in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security in Brussels, where she was responsible for combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. In this capacity, she led the drafting of the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

  New England School of Law Summer Program Every year since 2001, the Irish Centre for Human Rights has hosted a summer programme in international human rights offered by a consortium of universities in the United States and led by the New England School of Law, Boston. As well as providing a venue for the programme, several members of the Centre’s faculty also deliver courses for the programme that are credited towards American Bar Association approved law degrees. Approximately 25 students from United States law schools attended the programme in 2019. The photo shows Prof Ray Murphy with a number students taking the 2019 summer programme at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway.     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

      '2019 Annual PhD symposium, Irish Centre for Human Rights and guests’   Here is a picture of our annual PhD symposium that took place in the Irish Centre for Human Rights on the 29th of April to Friday 3rd April 2019   The names of the external visitors in attendance was Professor Ratna Kapur (QMW / Harvard / Symbiosis, Pune); Professor Noam Lubell (University of Essex); Dr Lars Waldorf (University of Dundee).          

   "Education, the Rights of Linguistic Minorities, and the Irish Language: An International Human Rights Perspective". UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Professor Fernand de Varennes Friday May 3rd, 1.30pm – 3.30pm (Lecture Theatre, Roinn na Gaeilge, NUI Galway Panel discussion: Ronán Ó Domhnaill, An Coimisinéir Teanga |Language Commissioner Prof Tadhg Ó hIfearnáin, Roinn na Gaeilge | Dept of Irish, NUI Galway Dr Rióna Ní Fhrighil, Roinn na Gaeilge | Dept of Irish, NUI Galway  ALL WELCOME!  Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights              

  If you missed the  Annual Distinguished Lecture that took place on the Thursday 11th April 2019 in the Aula, you can now see it on the following link:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pgdxNoxXlc  Pictured: Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin and Professor Siobhán Mullally   Annual Distinguished Lecture Distinguished Lecture ‘Gendering Counter-Terrorism’ Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism Chair: Hon Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley, Supreme Court of Ireland Co-hosted with the International Law Association (Irish Branch) April 11th 5pm to 6.30pm,  Aula Maxima, NUI Galway CPD 1.5 points available  Places are limited. Please register in advance at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/distinguished-lecture-gendering-counter-terrorism-by-fionnuala-ni-aolain-tickets-59319862305?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete Biography Professor Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin was appointed to the position of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, in August 2017. She is a University Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota; holder of the Robina Chair in Law, Public Policy, and Society; and faculty director of the Human Rights Center at the University of Minnesota Law School. She is concurrently a Professor of Law at Queens University Belfast.  Professor Ní Aoláin’s publications include: Law in Times of Crisis (Cambridge University Press); On the Frontlines: Gender, War and the Post-Conflict Process (Oxford University Press, 2011);  Exceptional Courts and Military Commissions in Comparative and Policy Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2013); Oxford Handbook on Gender and Conflict (2017). Ms. Ní Aoláin was a representative of the prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at domestic war crimes trials in Bosnia (1996-97). In 2003, she was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as Special Expert on promoting gender equality in times of conflict and peace-making. In 2011, she was appointed as consultant jointly by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and UN WOMEN to prepare a Study on Reparations for Conflict Related Sexual Violence. In 2015, she was appointed by the International Criminal Court’s Trust Fund for Victims to lead an Expert Review on Reparations to victims in the Court’s first case. In 2000, she was appointed by the Irish Minister of Justice to the Irish Human Rights Commission and served until 2005. She is an elected member of the Executive Committee for the Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice, and is also a member of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.            

  LUNCHTIME SEMINAR Date: Monday 8th April 2019 Time: 1-2 pm Location: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights. Dan Sheeran - The challenges of Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Daniel Sheeran is an LLM graduate from the Human Rights Centre. He currently works for the UN Peacekeeping Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) within the Mission's Joint Operations Centre. Daniel has also worked for the UN in the Central African Republic, Nigeria and most recently in Colombia. He is a former Officer in the Irish Army having served as a peacekeeper in Liberia, Chad and Lebanon.  Daniel will discuss the challenges of Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping, especially in a time of profound cultural and budgetary change with UN peacekeeping. The focus of his talk will be on the UN Peacekeeping Mission in DRC (MONUSCO).   *** All Welcome   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

    Invitation: Open Day 2019 Date: Tuesday 9 April 2019 Time: 10am – 4pm Location: Irish Centre for Human Rights, Earl’s Island, NUI Galway  On Tuesday 9 April 2019 the Irish Centre for Human Rights will host an Open Day at NUI Galway. If you are interested in visiting the Centre and hearing about the LLM programmes we offer at the Centre, please call in for a coffee, meet our staff and students, and learn more about our teaching, research and advocacy activities. The Irish Centre for Human Rights is currently accepting applications for the following programmes: LLM in International Human Rights Law LLM in International Criminal Law LLM in Peace Operations, Humanitarian Law & Conflict LLM in Migration and Refugee Law & Policy Full details on our programmes are available here: https://www.nuigalway.ie/irish-centre-human-rights/academics/llmprogrammes/  If you are not able to make it in person, feel free to contact us by phone 091-493948, e-mail or on social media.      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

Distinguished Lecture  ‘Gendering Counter-Terrorism’  Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism  Chair: Hon Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley, Supreme Court of Ireland  Co-hosted with the International Law Association (Irish Branch)  April 11th 5pm to 6.30pm,  Aula Maxima, NUI Galway  CPD 1.5 points available  Places are limited. Please register in advance at: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/distinguished-lecture-gendering-counter-terrorism-by-fionnuala-ni-aolain-tickets-59319862305?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete Biography Professor Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin was appointed to the position of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, in August 2017. She is a University Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota; holder of the Robina Chair in Law, Public Policy, and Society; and faculty director of the Human Rights Center at the University of Minnesota Law School. She is concurrently a Professor of Law at Queens University Belfast.  Professor Ní Aoláin’s publications include: Law in Times of Crisis (Cambridge University Press); On the Frontlines: Gender, War and the Post-Conflict Process (Oxford University Press, 2011);  Exceptional Courts and Military Commissions in Comparative and Policy Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2013); Oxford Handbook on Gender and Conflict (2017). Ms. Ní Aoláin was a representative of the prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at domestic war crimes trials in Bosnia (1996-97). In 2003, she was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as Special Expert on promoting gender equality in times of conflict and peace-making. In 2011, she was appointed as consultant jointly by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and UN WOMEN to prepare a Study on Reparations for Conflict Related Sexual Violence. In 2015, she was appointed by the International Criminal Court’s Trust Fund for Victims to lead an Expert Review on Reparations to victims in the Court’s first case. In 2000, she was appointed by the Irish Minister of Justice to the Irish Human Rights Commission and served until 2005. She is an elected member of the Executive Committee for the Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice, and is also a member of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.            

   Dr Maeve O’Rourke appointed to Lectureship in Human Rights Law Dr Maeve O’Rourke has taken up a new position as Lecturer in Human Rights Law, and Programme Director of the Bachelor of Law and Human Rights degree programme. Dr O’Rourke will also lead the development of a new International Human Rights Law clinic and clinical training on our LLM programmes.  Dr O’Rourke said: “It is a privilege for me to join this internationally renowned centre of academic excellence and commitment to justice. I’m eager to learn from colleagues and to work with them and our students to strengthen understanding and protection of human rights in Ireland and around the world. I am particularly looking forward to welcoming our first cohort of BCL Law & Human Rights students this September, and to establishing a Human Rights Law Clinic here at the Centre.”  Welcoming Dr O’Rourke’s appointment, Professor Siobhán Mullally, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, said:  “We are delighted to welcome Dr Maeve O’Rourke to the Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law here at NUI Galway. Dr O’Rourke is a renowned advocate and teacher, and the recipient of many honours and awards for her outstanding contribution to human rights research and practice. We are particularly excited to be launching the new undergraduate BCL Law and Human Rights programme, under Dr O’Rourke’s leadership, and to the development of the Human Rights Law clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Dr O’Rourke’s appointment continues to build on our commitment to teaching and advocacy in the field of human rights, and to world-class research that contributes to law and policy reform.” Dr O’Rourke’s research interests lie primarily in the development of the rule against torture and ill-treatment in international human rights law, human rights protections for older people, access to justice and redress for systemic and so-called ‘historical’ human rights abuses, and human rights research and advocacy methods. She was awarded her PhD (entitled ‘Older People, Dignity and Human Rights: Towards the Development of the Rule against Torture and Ill-treatment in International Human Rights Law’) in 2018 from Birmingham Law School where she was supervised by Professor Fiona de Londras and Professor Rosie Harding. From October 2017 to January 2019, Dr O’Rourke held the position of Senior Research and Policy Officer at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. Maeve is a barrister at 33 Bedford Row, London, and she is registered as an Attorney at Law in New York State. She has previously practised family law, and between 2013 and 2014 she worked with Leigh Day solicitors representing 15,000 claimants from Bodo, Rivers State, Nigeria in their claim against Shell Petroleum Development Company in the Technology and Construction Division of the English High Court. Since 2010 Dr O’Rourke has provided pro bono assistance to the voluntary advocacy groups, ‘Justice for Magdalenes’ and ‘Adoption Rights Alliance’, and she is currently a member of the research group, ‘Justice for Magdalenes Research’ (www.jfmresearch.com). She is co-director of the evidence-gathering initiative with Hogan Lovells LLP, ‘Clann: Ireland’s Unmarried Mothers and their Children: Gathering the Data’ (www.clannproject.org). Maeve’s legal research and public advocacy concerning Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and the forced separation of unmarried families in Ireland during the 20th century has received international and national recognition; awards include UK Family Law Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2013), Ireland Fund of Great Britain ‘Forgotten Irish’ Award (2013), University College Dublin Inaugural Alumni Achievement Award in Law (2014), Ireland/United States Alumni Association Inaugural Emerging Leader Award (2015), Lord Mayor of Dublin Award (2016), and PILnet Local Pro Bono Impact Award (2018). Dr O’Rourke has previously worked as a Consultant to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Professor Nils Melzer; Harvard Law School Global Human Rights Fellow at Equality Now; and researcher at the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program, the University of Minnesota Law School Human Rights Center and Just for Kids Law (UK).    

  Annual Galway Business and Human Rights Symposium “Non-Financial Reporting:  Implications for business and human rights in Ireland” A symposium organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights  Tuesday 2 April 2019 11am - 3pm, Room THB G011, Hardiman Building National University of Ireland Galway * * Registration closes on 28 March 2019 * * The Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway will host a half-day symposium on Tuesday 2 April 2019 exploring the growing role of non-financial reporting in the context of international and national efforts aimed at advancing business respect for human rights. This event will explore recent international developments in this area and consider the implications in an Irish context of the EU laws requiring non-financial and diversity disclosures by certain business enterprises. The symposium will bring together a number of legal and policy experts, as well as practitioners. Register at www.conference.ie  Registration rates (including a light lunch): ·       Professionals (3 CPD points available):                   €50 ·       University/civil society/unwaged:                            No charge    

Lunchtime Seminar Series  Human Rights and Development: Preventing Crimes Against Humanity in Myanmar  Dr. Daniel Aguirre Senior Lecturer, University of Roehampton London  Wednesday 27 March, 1-2pm Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights The world was shocked by the crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar. The country's transition to 'open for business' had been promoted as the regional good news story. Yet human rights activists had were not surprised and had adopted a more 'gloomy' outlook: the transition was incomplete, basic human rights laws and protection mechanisms were not in place and violations continued with impunity. Legal and institutional reform were inadequate and into this regulatory gap flowed billions of dollars in investment.  Despite the Rule of Law being put forward in the Sustainable Development Agenda, the international community insisted on legal protections for investor's interests while pursuing a policy of soft 'engagement' on human rights. The results showed that a failure to reform institutions, law and accountability mechanisms in transition results in a breakdown of the rule of law, and fosters a culture of impunity, emboldening human rights violators. This sets the stage for crimes against humanity. More must be done to prevent international crimes by ensuring that the rule of law and human rights are central to development.   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

The Irish Centre for Human Rights launched the on Thursday, 28 February, 2019.  Ms Gráinne O'Hara, Head of the Department of International Protection at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, gave the keynote address reflecting  on her experience of working with refugees in Mexico, the former Yugoslavia, Burundi, Sudan (Darfur), the US, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.  Ms O’Hara also spoke to the need for highly qualified postgraduates in the area of migration and forced displacement, both at the policy level and in the field: “At a time when human mobility, and forced displacement in particular, is to the forefront of so many highly charged political discussions, the value of academic discipline on the distinct but related issues of migration and refugee flight comes into its own. The LLM in International Migration and Refugee Law and Policy on offer from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI is a case in point. A clear understanding of the relevant legal frameworks, coupled with evidence-based analysis on field realities, is critical to good policy making.” The LL.M in International Migration and Refugee Law will commence in September, 2019 and is the only course of its kind on offer in an Irish university.  The Irish Centre for Human Rights, as one of the world’s premier university-based institutions for the study and promotion of human rights, is uniquely placed to deliver this course.  The programme enables the development of expertise in international, regional and domestic law, policy and practice in the areas of migration, human trafficking and refugee law.  There is the opportunity to combine the study of international migration with specialised courses in international humanitarian law and peace operations, gender and law, child rights, and international criminal law.The core-teaching programme is supplemented with an exciting programme of guest seminars, workshops and conferences engaging with leading experts and practitioners in the field of refugee protection, human trafficking, international migration, human rights law and public policy.

  LUNCHTIME SEMINAR ‘Good Relations: A Rights-Based Approach to Kinship Care in Liverpool’ By Dr. Aoife Daly Date: 29th March 2019 Time: 1pm -2pm Venue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights Kinship carers – family or friends who take on the care of children who cannot be cared for by parents – are the unsung heroes of the child care system in England and Wales. They are usually grandparents, frequently have health problems, and often live in poverty. They step in to care for children at a time of crisis. Yet they are primarily left by the state without financial or other support to provide this particularly vulnerable group of kinship children with what they need. Relevant rules are complex and unclear, and kinship carers are often unaware of their legal position. This seminar outlines how a project in Liverpool aimed to frame kinship care as a rights issue, using the framework of rights and law to progress understanding amongst authorities of the experiences and needs of kinship families, and to assist them in accessing assistance and entitlements. Professionals working with kinship families were asked their views on and experiences of kinship care as a rights issue. It is concluded that their views on rights are complex and often subtle, with varied understandings as to the meaning of rights and various degrees of ambivalence as to their legitimacy. This is considered in light of Klug’s framework of human rights as part law, part philosophy, and part political movement. It is finally concluded that human rights should be presented to professionals as both a journey and an end point towards and for better practice and outcomes.  Dr Aoife Daly is Senior Lecturer at the School of Law, University of Liverpool. She is also Deputy Director of the European Children’s Rights Unit which seeks to progress children’s rights through research. She recently published Children, Autonomy and the Courts: Beyond the Right to be Heard with Brill Nijhoff (2018).   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

“We tortured some folks”: The Legacy of US torture Dr Michelle Farrell Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Liverpool  Irish Centre for Human Rights, Seminar Room Wednesday 20 March 2019, 1-2pm  Co-hosted with the Whitaker Institute Conflict, Humanitarianism and Security Cluster How do governments talk about torture - whether to deny having tortured, to justify a practice of torture, or to admit to a history of torture – without sounding tyrannical? In 2014, then President Barack Obama admitted to a history of torture.  He did not use rhetorical techniques of denial, justification and qualification, the kind of techniques so commonly employed by governments in handling allegations of torture; indeed, techniques that were deployed as a matter of course during the Bush administration. “We tortured some folk”, said Obama, earnestly, candidly, and calm as you like. There was no effort to euphemise, no use of the passive voice, no shifting of blame on to any particular person, agency, or a few bad apples.   Obama used these four little words in August 2014, at a White House press conference, in pre-emption of the publication of the damning Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Torture. The sentence is undoubtedly jarring. He admits to the commission of an international crime. He describes the victims, quite colloquially, in friendly terms, as 'folks'. He says 'we' did it.  In this paper, I will examine this admission with a view to critiquing the US attitude to, and handling of, its post 11 September policy of torture. I will also use Obama’s words as a vehicle to explore the practice of torture beyond the strictures of the human rights and accountability frameworks, that dominate the discussion. In fact, I will use Obama's words to try to enrich our understanding of the act or practice of torture. These words can be interpreted to disclose, I argue, first, torture in all of its liberal democratic glory, second, torture as part of a civilising mission and, finally, torture as a sacrificial practice revealing a political theology of torture.      

Lunchtime Seminar Series   Human Rights & Exonerations: Is Innocence Enough? By Dr. Brian Farrell  Lecturer in Law & Human Rights, University of Iowa College of Law and President of the Innocence Project of Iowa. Friday 15 March, 1-2pm Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights  In many domestic legal systems, procedural barriers can preclude a wrongfully convicted person from being exonerated despite the existence of evidence of innocence. In 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court joined a small minority of US jurisdictions in recognizing a freestanding claim of “actual innocence” (in a case in which Dr. Farrell was involved as an amicus curiae). Building on recent scholarship identifying an emerging international consensus on the right to claim innocence, this presentation will examine whether procedural barriers can be reconciled with human rights law, or if the incarceration of a factually innocent person is inherently contrary to international human rights norms.       

  Lunchtime seminar “Unpacking the Use of Amnesties in Conflict and Peace” by Professor Louise Mallinder, Queen’s University Belfast Date: 11th March 2019 Time:  1-2pm Venue: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway  Prof Mallinder will present the findings of her new Amnesties, Conflict, and Peace Agreement (ACPA) dataset, which has been developed as part as part of the Political Settlements Research Project. The dataset contains large-scale comparative data on trends in state practice on conflict and peace-related amnesties. Using this data, she will explore when and how amnesties are used during conflict and transitions towards peace. In particular, she will examine how the context in which amnesties are adopted can shape decisions on whether to limit the material or personal scope of amnesties or to attach conditions to the grant of amnesty; or on their range of legal effects. She will argue that these aspects of amnesty design can have significant implications for the extent to which amnesty can contribute to inclusive political settlements or conversely to excluding some individuals or groups from the post-conflict political contract.                                                                                                 All welcome!   ****      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights

   LUNCHTIME SEMINAR  "From Administration to Law and Rights? Asylum Seekers & Direct Provision" by By Dr Liam Thornton, Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin  Date: 27th February 2019 Time: 1pm -2pm Venue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights Bio Dr Liam Thornton is a lecturer in law the School of Law, UCD, where he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses on a range of subjects including refugee protection, human rights law and social inclusion. Liam has a strong interest in social justice and law, and researches in areas relating to immigration law, social security law, European law and human rights law. He has published widely in these fields, and has also carried out tendered research for the Law Society of Ireland, the Irish Human Rights Commission, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Odysseus Network/European Commission, as well as pro-bono research for legal practitioners and leading national non-governmental organisations. Prior to taking up his position in UCD, Liam was Research and Policy Officer in the Irish Human Rights Commission (2008-9) and a lecturer in law in University of Ulster (2009-2012).

The Irish Centre for Human Rights is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, as an Adjunct Professor of Human Rights Law. Professor de Varennes was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues by the UN Human Rights Council and assumed his functions on 1 August 2017. Fernand de Varennes’ work and commitment focusses on the human rights of minorities, as well as the prevention of ethnic conflicts, the rights of migrants, the relationship between ethnicity, human rights and democracies, and the use of federalism and other forms of autonomy arrangements. As part of his UN mandate, he recently completed a country visits to Spain and has continued to focus on the international law questions relating to statelessness and citizenship rights of minorities. Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor Siobhán Mullally welcomed Professor de Varennes’ appointment: “The Centre has a long tradition of research, teaching and advocacy on the rights of minorities. Professor de Varennes’ appointment builds on this tradition, giving students and staff the opportunity to work with and to learn from one of the world’s leading experts on this subject. Through this new collaboration, we will further expand the opportunities for our students to gain hands-on, ‘real world’ experience of international human rights law practice. The UN Special Rapporteur’s focus on Language Rights is of particular significance in Ireland, and to the work of the Language Commissioner, located in Spiddal, Co. Galway. The Special Rapporteur’s work on statelessness, as a global phenomenon affecting migrant communities, will be of great interest to students on our new LLM programme in International Migration and Refugee Law and Policy.”   Commenting on his new appointment to the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor de Varennes said: “The international human rights system is a bulwark against injustice and instability. I'm looking forward to working with the staff and students at the Irish Centre for Human Rights to better understand and help strengthen, in Europe and elsewhere, this essential dimension of the global community in which we now live." Professor de Varennes will speak at a series of events at NUI Galway, April 29-May 1st, including a joint event on Language Rights, with An Comisinéir Teanga (the Language Commissioner), and a seminar on Minority Rights and Ethnic Conflict. For further information, please contact the Irish Centre for Human Rights, humanrights@nuigalway.ie Information on the work of the Un Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues is available at: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/SRMinorities/Pages/SRminorityissuesIndex.aspx  

  Invitation to the Launch of the new LLM in International Migration and Refugee Law and Policy  Thursday February 28th at 6pm, Staff Club, The Quadrangle, NUI Galway Guest speakers: Gráinne O’Hara, Director of International Protection, UN High Commissioner for Refugees  Respondent: Hilkka Becker, (Solicitor) Chairperson, International Protection Appeals Tribunal (Ireland)    

The Irish Centre for Human Rights is delighted to have been awarded a four year contract to work with the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, in the EU wide collaborative research network -  FRANET.   FRANET is a mulitidisciplinary research network of leading experts on EU fundamental rights law and policy. The network supports the work of the Fundamental Rights Agency through expert research and data analysis on fundamental rights across the European Union.  Commenting on the award of the project, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor Siobhán Mullally, stated:  “At this critical time in the protection of fundamental rights in the European Union, the work of collaborative networks such as FRANET is more critical than ever. Through in depth analysis of legislative and policy developments, and data analysis, we can support the work of the Fundamental Rights Agency in providing expert advice to the institutions of the EU and the Member States, helping to ensure that the fundamental rights of people living in the EU are effectively protected. We are delighted to join with academic and civil society partners across the EU and neighbouring states, to continue our work on supporting fundamental rights in the European Union.”Further information on the work of the Fundamental Rights Agency is available at: For more information or queries, contact Professor Siobhán MullallyEmail: siobhan.mullally@nuigalway.ie Tel: +353-(0)91 493 948       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

   LUNCHTIME SEMINAR  ‘Truth Commissions and Transitional Justice in Africa: Fulfilling the Promise of Never Again in The Gambia' BY DR. YASSIN BRUNGER  Date: 08th February 2019 Time: 1pm -2pm Venue: Seminar room, Irish Centre for Human Rights Dr Brunger is Lecturer in Human Rights Law and Fellow of the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. She joined Queens University, School of Law in July 2016, having previously taught at the University of Leicester, University College Dublin and the University of Ulster. Dr Brunger’s primary research and supervision interests are the fields of international criminal law, sexual and gender-based violence, international and comparative criminal evidence, feminist perspectives and transitional justice. Dr Brunger’s work is inherently socio-legal and examines the law in the context of broader conflict and post-conflict dynamics from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. Dr Brunger is currently completing her book on the relationship between the International Criminal Court and UN Security Council (forthcoming Cambridge University Press 2019) which explores the critical intersections between global politics and international criminal justice. Her research has been used to impact and inform policy and practice in the areas of human rights and international criminal justice. Her co-authored paper ‘Witness Preparation in the ICC: An Opportunity for Principled Pragmatism’ was shortlisted for the SLSA Article Prize (2016) and been cited by the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in the case of The Prosecutor v. Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé. Dr Brunger’s Policy Brief for the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation (South Africa) examining “Investigations and Prosecutions of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence by the International Criminal Court” has been widely used to inform the practice of a range of international organizations and NGOs responding to SGBV in conflict and post-conflict countries.    

Summer School on the International Criminal Court 24 - 28 June 2019 National University of Ireland Galway * * 20th Anniversary Guest Lecture * Fatou Bensouda Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court The Irish Centre for Human Rights is pleased to announce that Ms. Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, will deliver a special guest lecture at the annual International Criminal Court Summer School which takes place in Galway from 24-28 June 2019.  This is the premier summer school specialising on the International Criminal Court and comprises a series of intensive lectures and events over five days. The sessions are lead by academic experts as well as by legal professionals working at the International Criminal Court. Participants are provided with a detailed working knowledge of the establishment of the Court, its structures and operations, and the applicable law and policy. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the ICC Summer School at NUI Galway. Prosecutor Bensouda will deliver her guest lecture on the evening of Monday 24 June 2019 during the Summer School. This lecture is kindly co-hosted by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The closing date for registrations is 1 June 2019. A special early-bird discounted registration rate of €400 is available until 10 April 2019. In addition, delegates can opt for a one-day registration for Monday 24 June 2019 for €100, which includes the Prosecutor’s guest lecture (5 CPD points available). For the programme and registration for this year’s Summer School go to: https://nuiggalwayccmichr.clr.events/event/127999#registration Please also follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates. Any queries can be sent to iccsummerschool@gmail.com    

Prof. William Schabas, “Genocide, the Holocaust, and the Lie of Racial Superiority”, Holocaust Memorial Lecture, Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, NUI Galway. 23 January 2019, 7.00pm to 8.30 pmRoom: MRA201 The Ryan Institute Lecture TheatreBuilding: 072 Ryan Institute Annexe, NUI Galway Prof. William A. Schabas, Emeritus Professor at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law will deliver a Holocaust Memorial Lecture on the role that ideas of racial superiority played in the Holocaust. He will discuss international efforts, including those of international law, to condemn notions of racial superiority, linking this to the Holocaust, but also to colonialism and the slave trade. He will talk briefly about his own family's experiences with Nazi racism and genocide. The event will be introduced by Prof. Siobhán Mullally, Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights and chaired by Prof. Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Registrar and Deputy President, NUI Galway. Professor Schabas is emeritus professor of human rights law at NUI Galway and honorary chairman of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, professor of international law at Middlesex University and at Leiden University, and a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He is invited visiting scholar at the Paris School of International Affairs (Sciences Politiques), honorary professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, visiting fellow of Kellogg College of the University of Oxford, visiting fellow of Northumbria University, and professeur associé at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Prof. Schabas is a 'door tenant' at the chambers of 9 Bedford Row, in London. Prof. Schabas has published extensively in the field of international human rights and criminal law. His most recent book is The Trial of the Kaiser, published by Oxford University Press.

           Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

The Irish Centre for Human Rights and the School of Law hosted a panel discussion with Dr Mary Robinson on the ‘The Necessity of Advocacy’ at NUI Galway on Wednesday, 24 October. A recording of the event can be watched below or on YouTube.  Opening remarks are provided by Professor Siobhán Mullally and the event was chaired by Judge Tony O’Connor of the High Court. Guest panellists include: Dr Gearóid O’Cuinn and Gerry Liston of the Global Legal Action Network; Dr Maeve O’Rourke, Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Justice for Magdalenes; Professor Donncha O’Connell, NUI Galway and the Law Reform Commission; and Professor Niamh Reilly, NUI Galway. A podcast of the event is available below: A photo gallery is now up on our Flickrpage:

  Lunchtime Seminar “The Israeli Military Court of Appeal’s Rulings on International Law” Date: Wed 24 October 2018, Location: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, Time: 12 pm to 1 pm.   In this talk Adv. Nery Ramati will discuss the relationship that has been established between international law, the Israelimilitary courts and Israeli military law in the occupied Palestinian territories through the analysis of the rulings of the Israeli military court of appeals. BioAttorney Nery Ramati is a partner in Gaby Lasky and Partners Law Office, a leading human rights office in Israel, specializing in freedom of expression and protest. He has been representing Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights and anti-occupation activists in the military and civil courts since 2008. He has also provided legal counsel to various organizations engaged in documenting and protesting human rights abuses and violations of international law by the Israeli authorities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. All Welcome!     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights    

   The Irish Centre for Human Rights and the School of Law, NUI Galway are delighted to host:  ‘The Necessity of Advocacy’ In conversation with Dr Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Ireland.   24th October 2018 6pm-8.30pm O'Flaherty Theatre - Concourse (Arts/Science Building) Register at www.conference.ie Limited space - Booking is essential   Chaired by High Court Judge Tony O’Connor   Panel Discussion With: Dr Gearóid O’Cuinn and Gerry Liston (GLAN/ ICHR), Dr Maeve O’Rourke (ICCL and Justice for Magdalenes, incoming NUI Galway), Professor Donncha O’Connell (NUI Galway and Law Reform Commission), Professor Niamh Reilly (NUI Galway) ‌ 

  We would like to congratulate Claire Raissain who has been awarded the NUI Travelling Studentship in Law.  Her PhD thesis topic is; ‘Separated Children on the Move in Europe: Access to Protection and Legal Responses to Human Trafficking”, and she will be supervised by Professor Siobhán Mullally. 

Developing Clinical Legal Education: Joint initiative with ‘Global Legal Action Network’ involves students in international human rights actions. In addition to its renowned academic programme the Irish Centre for Human Rights is working to expand the practical legal opportunities for its students. This summer term the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) commenced a collaborative initiative recruiting a select number of the Centre’s LLM and PhD students to provide hands on support for its international legal actions. A total of six candidates were selected and brought into three separate projects covering war crimes in Yemen, migration rights and human rights in supply chains. The supervised placements are based in Galway and students link to other GLAN teams via regular video conferencing and on-line case management systems. Since its inception GLAN has successfully incorporated clinical legal education into its operations and developed a robust set of practice to ensure that students gain meaningful and rewarding experiences that boost the organisations capacity and further their litigation strategies.  Further information on GLAN’s pioneering legal work is available at: www.glanlaw.org   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa of the International Criminal Court delivered a public lecture during this year’s annual Summer School on the International Criminal Court which took place at the National University of Ireland Galway from 18 - 22 June 2018. This public lecture was held in association with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  In the photo with Judge Bossa is Prof. Siobhán Mullally, Director of the Irish Centre Human Rights, Bridín O’Donoghue, Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade and James Kingston, Legal Adviser, Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  The Great March of Return, Israel’s Assault on Gaza & the Struggle for Justice in Palestine  Date: Friday  8 June 2018, 5 pm.Location: Seminar Room- Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway.  Shawan Jabarin, Director General of the largest and oldest Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq, will address recent developments in Gaza: the remarkable mass movement that emerged in the form of the Great March of Return, and the response of the Israeli military – including the use of lethal force and explosive bullets against civilians, as well as rules of engagement allowing the use of lethal force. Jabarin will also address the diverse range of ongoing attempts to hold Israel to account for its violations of international law in the Palestinian territories – from potential war crimes investigations by the International Criminal Court to forthcoming proposed legislation in Ireland to ban trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories. According to Prof. Ray Murphy of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Shawan Jabarin is amongst the most pre-eminent of Palestinian human rights defenders and most qualified to speak about the ongoing oppression and human rights violations of the Palestinian people.  In 2011 Jabarin was appointed to the Human Rights Watch Middle East Advisory Board, and in 2013 he was elected as a Commissioner for the International Commission of Jurists. In 2016 he was elected Secretary-General of FIDH: International Federation of Human Rights. After studying sociology at Birzeit University in the 1980s, Jabarin later studied human rights law at Irish Centre of Human Rights, NUI Galway, where he completed the LL.M programme in 2004-05, supported by a grant from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Irish Aid programme. In 2010, the Irish Centre of Human Rights presented him with its first and only distinguished graduate award. He has been subject to administrative detention without trial, travel bans and death threats for his work as a human rights defender, and has been supported in campaigns by Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem, and others. He was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1990 for his defence of freedom of expression and human rights, and has received numerous other human rights awards. All Welcome!       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa to speak at NUI Galway Summer School on the International Criminal Court The Irish Centre for Human Rights is most pleased to announce that Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa of the International Criminal Court will deliver a public lecture during this year’s annual Summer School on the International Criminal Court which takes place at the National University of Ireland Galway from 18 - 22 June 2018. Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa from Uganda was elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court for a term of nine years commencing in March 2018. Prior to joining the International Criminal Court, Judge Bossa held positions as a Judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (2003-2013), the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights (2014-2018) and the Court of Appeal of Uganda (2013-2018).  Judge Bossa will deliver a public lecture at 6pm on Monday 18 June 2018 in the Aula Maxima at NUI Galway. This public lecture is held in association with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Registration for the Summer School on the International Criminal Court is open until 1 June 2018. This year’s ICC Summer School will include a special session on Africa and the International Criminal Court in association with the Institute for Security Studies, South Africa. Further details on registration and the full programme for the 2018 ICC Summer School are available at: http://www.conference.ie/Conferences/index.asp?Conference=551.      Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships The Irish Centre for Human Rights is looking to host an experienced researcher via funding through Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships.  In order to secure funding, the experienced researcher must develop a proposal with the host for the September 12th 2018 deadline.  The Centre welcomes proposals from researchers working broadly in the field of international human rights, as well as international humanitarian law, international criminal law and related fields.  A proposal should align with the research interests of a member of academic staff at the Centre to secure an agreement for supervision. Researchers will be given the opportunity to be integrated into the academic life of the Irish Centre for Human Rights and to participate and contribute to research activities and events. Researchers will also have the opportunity to develop skills in communication and project management and to participate in relevant training offered at NUI Galway. The researcher must fulfil the MSCA-IF mobility and experienced researcher requirements: https://www.iua.ie/irish-marie-curie-office/funding-calls/individual-fellowships/ In addition to research experience and skills, the researcher must have an ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team, and have strong communication skills, written and oral.  If you are interested in applying for a MSCA-IF with the Irish Centre for Human Rights please contact Dr Shane Darcy (shane.darcy@nuigalway.ie).     Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

T‌he Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland Galway   Save the date17-18 May 2018Aula Maxima, NUIG  Keynote speakers: Judge Gerard Hogan, Irish Court of AppealJudge Pinto De Albuquerque, European Court of Human Rights  Guest Speakers Hilkka Becker, International Protection Tribunal Kathryn Cronin, Garden Court Chambers Raza Husain QC, Matrix Chambers Catherine Meredith, Doughty Street Chambers Colin Smith, The Law Library Please find link below for registration:  http://www.conference.ie/Conferences/index.asp?Conference=555    Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  Irish Centre for Human Rights and International Law Association (Irish Branch)   'Symposium on the revised US Dept of Defense Law of War Manual'  Lunchtime Seminar Date: Monday 16th April 2018Time: 10.30 am to 1.30 pmLocation: Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI, Galway  Speakers: Prof. Ray Murphy, Irish Centre for Human Rights: The United States Department of Defense Law of War Manual and Basic Principles.Prof. Michael A. Newton, Professor of the Practice of Law, Vanderbilt University Law School: The United States Department of Defense Law of War Manual: Observations and Oddities.Dr. Katharine Fortin, Assistant Professor, Utrecht University School of Law: Armed Groups and the DOD Manual: Shining a Light on Overlooked Issues. All welcome!   Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  “Illusions of Progress?”National actions plans on business and human rights A symposium organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights Date:  Friday 23 March 2018, 11am - 3pm, Room THB G011, Hardiman Building, National University of Ireland Galway * * * Register by 15 March 2017 * * * “Illusions of Progress?” National actions plans on business and human rights     The Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway will host a half-day symposisum exploring the role of national action plans in furthering the business and human rights agenda. Recent policy and practice shows that such national action plans have become the primary means of implementing the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights (2011). The Irish Government adopted its National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 in November 2017 on foot of recommendations by the European Commission and the United Nation Human Rights Council. In this context, the symposium will bring together a number of legal and policy experts working in the field of business and human rights who will discuss and explore the prospects and problems associated with such national action plans. The symposium will consider whether national business and human rights plans constitute an effective means of ensuring corporate respect for human rights or merely serve to give the illusion of progress.  Symposium participants include: Professor Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington; United Nations Working Group on business and human rightsClaudia Saller, Coordinator, European Coalition for Corporate JusticeColin Wrafter, Former Director, Human Rights Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeDr Tara Van Ho, Lecturer, School of Law and Human Rights Centre, University of EssexDr Shane Darcy, Senior Lecturer, Irish Centre for Human Rights There is no regisration fee for the symposium but as places are limited, those wishing to attend should confirm their attendance by e-mailing  humanrights@nuigalway.ie  before 15 March 2018. A light lunch will be provided. ****       Website:    www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishCentreHRFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrishHumanRights  

  The Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, invites you to attend a morning of talks on the subject of abortion law reform on Friday, March 9th 2018 at 11.30 to 2pm  As the mooted date for a referendum on Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution draws closer, the ICHR has drawn together a number of prominent human rights advocates and academics to consider the challenges and possibilities of abortion law in a post-Eighth Amendment Ireland. Please find link below for registration :  https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/about-abortion-the-law-and-politics-of-reform-tickets-43025789294 Speakers include: Professor Carol Sanger, Barbara Aronstein Black Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and author of About Abortion: Terminating Pregnancy in the 21st Century; Les Allamby, Chief Commissioner Northern Irish Human Rights Commission; Dr Eilionóir Flynn, Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy , NUI Galway; Dr Claire Murray, School of Law, University College Cork; Professor Siobhán Mullally, Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway. The ICHR is delighted to present this event in association with NUIG's Gender ARC.  

 The talk by Tomi Reichental that took place on the 8th of February was recorded. His emotional and powerful talk was received by a captivated audience.  See links below IMG_1779.MOV IMG_1780.MOV   The Irish Centre for Human Rights invites you to a public lecture:Talk by Tomi ReichentalA survivor of the Bergen- Belsen concentration camp, on his experience of the HolocaustThursday,  February 8th,  2018, 8pm sharpVenue: The Ryan Institute Lecture Theatre (MRA 201), Ryan Institute Annexe, NUI Galway (off University Road)   Tomi Reichental, a survivor of the Bergen- Belsen concentration camp, will give a talk about his experience of the Holocaust in the The Ryan Institute Lecture Theatre (MRA 201), Ryan Institute Annexe, NUI Galway (off University Road) on Thursday 8th February 2018 at 8 pm sharp.  Tomi Reichental was born in 1935 in Piestany Slovakia. In 1944 at age nine, he was captured by the Gestapo in Bratislava and deported to Bergen Belsen concentration camp with his mother, grandmother, brother, aunt and cousin. When he was liberated in April 1945, he discovered that 35 members of his extended family had been murdered. His grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all died in the Holocaust. R e c o u n t i n g  t h e sights and smells at the concentration camp Tomi said:   “Typhoid and diphtheria were the biggest killers, but people were dying of starvation and cold in their hundreds. First the bodies were removed and burned, but later they were just piling up in front of our barracks, there were piles of decomposing bodies. The soldiers who liberated Belsen in April 1945 said they could smell the stench for two miles before they reached the camp. In the camp I could not play like a normal child, we didn’t laugh and we didn’t cry. If you stepped out of line, you could be beaten up even beaten to death. I saw it all with my own eyes.”  Professor Ray Murphy from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway,  said: “Tomi is one of the last surviving witnesses to the Holocaust. As such, he feels compelled to speak out so that the victims are not forgotten and we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. For most of his life Tomi did not speak of the atrocities he bore witness to, but in recent years he has become an advocate for tolerance and compassion. His story is a story of the past. It is also a story for our times. The Holocaust reminds us of the dangers of racism and intolerance, providing lessons from the past that are relevant today. One of the lessons we must learn is to respect difference and reject all forms of racism and discrimination.”  Tomi Reichental has lived in Dublin since 1959. In 2004, for the first time in 60 years, he broke his silence and began to speak about his experiences during the Holocaust. Thousands of students in schools all over Ireland have heard his story, and an RTÉ documentary film called I Was a Boy in Belsen was based on Tomi’s life. The film was directed by the Emmy award winning producer Gerry Gregg and retraces the events that swept away the Jewish presence in Central Europe from the point of view of a boy who couldn’t understand why. To mark his 80th birthday on the 26 June 2015, the Board of Trustees of HETI (Holocaust Education Trust of Ireland) established a scholarship in Reichental’s name. It will be awarded annually in perpetuity to a deserving candidate to enable her or his participation in one of the Holocaust education programs. The scholarship is in recognition of Reichental’s immense contribution that he has made to Holocaust awareness and education over the years. The talk at NUI Galway will be followed by a Q&A session.  Admission is free but early arrival is advised.    ALL WELCOME!    

  Lunchtime Seminar Series    The Mladić trial - the end of the beginning of International Criminal Law   Wednesday 14th of March, 1-2pm, Seminar Room, Irish Centre for Human Rights    On 22 November 2017, the ICTY rendered the judgment in its final trial, in the case of Prosecutor v. Ratko Mladić. The judgment marked the end not only of the proceedings in this case but also of the work of the ICTY. The establishment of the ICTY almost 25 years earlier had come to mark the beginning of a new era for international criminal law and its work triggered the creation of new institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court. The rendering of the trial judgment against Ratko Mladić is therefore a good moment to review the current state of international criminal law. As one of the biggest war crimes trials in history, it presents numerous challenges and lessons that are relevant for all other present and future international courts and tribunals. Jonas Nilsson was the Senior Legal Officer advising the Trial Chamber throughout the pre-trial and trial proceedings in this case. He is therefore in a unique position to provide an insider's perspective of these challenges and lessons.    Jonas Nilsson worked at ICTY between 2005 and 2017 as a Senior Legal Officer and Legal Officer. He was the team leader in Trial Chamber I, assigned to the Mladić case. He has a Master of Laws from the University of Lund and a Master of International Human Rights Law from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Lund. Jonas Nilsson has previously worked with human rights and refugee law at Amnesty International and the Swedish Helsinki Committee. Between 2001 and 2003, he lived in Kosovo and worked at the Ombudsperson Institution in Kosovo as the Director of Investigations. He has published many articles on international criminal law and human rights, including articles for the Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice (Antonio Cassese, Ed.), Code of International Criminal Law and Procedure – Annotated (Larcier), and the Commentary on the Law of the International Criminal Court (Mark Klamberg, Ed.).          All welcome!   

  'Proving International Crimes' Dr. Yvonne McDermott Rees, Swansea University Lunchtime Seminar Date: Monday 26 February 2018 Time: 12 to 1 pm, Seminar Room Location: Seminar Room, ICHR, NUI, Galway International criminal tribunals face an enormous task when they seek to analyse the thousands of pages of evidence that are presented in the course of their trials, and to draw conclusions on the guilt or innocence of accused persons based on that evidence. Yet, whilst rules of admissibility have been subjected to a great deal of academic commentary, many key debates relating to proof in international criminal trials have remained under-theorised to date. This paper discusses the evaluation of evidence in international criminal trials. It argues that, despite over two decades of practice in contemporary international criminal tribunals, no consistent approach as to how judges should weigh evidence and use it for fact-finding has emerged. The quality of evidence required to meet the standard of proof at different stages of proceedings remains uncertain. Furthermore, it shall be argued that the structure of international criminal judgments can detract from the clarity of their findings, and this in turn has an impact on their legal and sociological legitimacy.  All Welcome!

  Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor Siobhán Mullally led a delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) from 29 January to 2 February 2018. The visit provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings since the first evaluation visit by GRETA in 2013 (link to GRETA's report on Italy), as well as developments since the publication of GRETA’s urgent procedure report in January 2017. During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with officials from the Department for Equal Opportunities of the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorist Directorate, the State Police, the Carabinieri Corps, the Financial Police, the National Association of Italian Municipalities, the National Commission for Recognition of International Protection, the Territorial Commission for Recognition of International Protection in Rome, and the National Statistics Institute. Further, the GRETA delegation met Ms Filomena Albano, Italian Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents. In addition to holding meetings in Rome, the GRETA delegation travelled to two Italian regions, Sicily and Tuscany, where it met representatives of public bodies and civil society involved in local anti-trafficking networks. In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited shelters for victims of trafficking and drop-in centres providing services to possible victims of trafficking, run by non-governmental organisations (Proxima and Penelope in Sicily and Donne in Movimento and Arnera in Tuscany). Further, the delegation visited an emergency reception centre (CAS) for asylum-seeking women in Torre Angela. The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations, lawyers and officials of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The visit was carried out by Professor Siobhán Mullally, President of GRETA, and Ms Rita Theodorou Superman, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention, and Mr Markus Lehner of the Secretariat of the Convention. Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report which will be sent to the Italian authorities for comments. The final report will be made public after its adoption by GRETA. More information about GRETA’s work is available at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/anti-human-trafficking/news  

   Call for Papers   The Rights of Migrants and Refugees: Exploring the role of courts and tribunals 17-18 May 2018    The Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, is hosting a conference on the theme of ‘Vindicating the  Rights of Migrants and Refugees: exploring the role of courts and tribunals’ on May 17th -18th  2018.  The event will take place in the Aula Maxima in NUI Galway and will bring together practitioners, academics, students and policy makers working in the field of migration and asylum law and policy. We are seeking submissions of paper proposals on the theme of the conference understood broadly. We welcome domestic, international and comparative perspectives from any jurisdiction. Interdisciplinary and theoretical proposals as well as practice-oriented analyses are equally welcome. The selection will be based on the following criteria: Originality and innovativeness of the work Relevance to the conference theme Geographical and gender balance Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words to ichrmigration@gmail.com  Please also include your name, affiliation, contact details and a 100 words biography. Deadline for submission of abstracts: February 23rd. You will be notified about the outcome of the selection process by March 14th.  Unfortunately, the organisers are not able to provide any financial support. However, information about travel and accommodation options will be communicated to all participants in due course  Organising Committee, Dr Ciara Smyth, Dr Ekaterina Yahyaoui, Professor Siobhán Mullally, Noemi Magugliani, Stefano Angeleri, Denise Gormley, Luke Hamilton  

NUI Galway has announced the appointment of Professor Siobhán Mullally as the Established Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway. Professor Mullally will take up her post in September 2017.Professor Mullally is currently a Professor at the School of Law, UCC where she also holds the position of Vice-Head of the College of Business & Law. She was recently elected President of the Council of Europe expert group on human trafficking, GRETA. Professor Mullally is also a Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.Professor Mullally has worked as an adviser and consultant on human rights, migration and asylum law, gender and justice sector reform for UN bodies and international organisations in many parts of the world, including in Ethiopia, Timor-Leste, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kosovo.  In 2009, she was appointed by the International Bar Association to an inquiry team, examining the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan. As President and member of the Council of Europe anti-trafficking body (GRETA), she has been rapporteur for several country reports, including Hungary, France, Italy, UK and Sweden. Professor Mullally is the Irish member of the Odysseus European network of experts on Asylum and Migration Law.Prior to her appointment at UCC, Professor Mullally held lecturing posts in the UK and Pakistan. She has held visiting positions at several leading universities, including at Harvard Law School, Cornell University, Sydney Law School, National Law School of India, Bangalore. In 2009-2010, she was a Fulbright Scholar and Senior Fellow in Residence at Columbia University, Gender, Sexuality and Law Centre, and inn 2011-2012, she was awarded the prestigious Senior Fernand Braudel Fellowship at the European University Institute, Florence. Welcoming the appointment, Prof. Ray Murphy said “I am delighted to have a person of such renowned scholarship and advocacy in the field of international human rights take up the post of Director.  We look forward to working with Siobhán in building on the reputation and activities of the Irish Centre for Human Rights in the years ahead”.  Professor Mullally said: “The Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway is one of the world’s premier human rights centres, with an outstanding track record of research, post-graduate teaching and doctoral education in the field of human rights law. Uniquely situated at the cross-roads of practice, policy and academia, the Centre brings together human rights practitioners and scholars from across the world in a dynamic intellectual environment. At this critical time for human rights globally, I look forward to working with colleagues at the Centre and School of Law, to contribute to informed policy debates on many pressing human rights challenges  - from gender equality, women’s human rights and social justice, to refugee and migrant protection.”

School of Law Doctoral Scholarships Including: Centre for Disability Law & Policy Irish Centre for Human Rights The School of Law is currently accepting applications for two PhD Scholarships. These Scholarships are awarded for a period of four years, subject to verification of satisfactory progress at the end of each year. The Scholarships and are available for the academic year 2015/2016 and will commence immediately upon award. Each Scholarship is worth €16,000 per year for four years, a proportion of which will be used to cover fees. The Scholarships are awarded for the purpose of enabling the holder to undertake a fulltime Structured PhD at the School of Law. The holder may not simultaneously register for another course. Preference will be given to new entrants and those PhD students in the first year of their doctoral studies. The holders of these Scholarships will reside in Galway, Ireland and will engage in research and undertake related teaching and other duties within the School and/or one of the Centres in accordance with University policy in addition to pursuing their own doctoral research.  For further information, please see the Announcement for 2015 Doctoral ScholarshipsFor the terms and conditions, please see PhD Scholarships Terms

Professor Michael O'Flaherty, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights welcomed President Joachim Gauck of Germany and President Michael D Higgins of Ireland. President Gauck was visiting Galway to receive an honorary Doctorate of Laws from NUIG. The Honorary Conferring and visit to the University included a Roundtable Discussion with key speakers on Development and Human Rights at the Irish Centre of Human Rights at NUI Galway. Among the Participants were representatives of the development sector in Ireland (Concern, Trócaire), members of the German delegation, academics and human rights experts, Irish and German diplomats and policy makers, moderated by Professor Michael O’Flaherty, Director of The Irish Centre of Human Rights at NUI Galway. Speaking on the Round Table Discussion, Professor Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, said: "It is a very important initiative of President Michael D. Higgins and President Joachim Gauck to convene a conversation on Human Rights and Development. Enormously significant decisions will be taken by the international community in September when it adopts the Sustainable Development Goals.  It is imperative that Human Rights are strongly presented in these goals and our discussion will contribute to strengthening the policy of European states on this critical issue." Introductory Speech for President Gauck delivered by Professor O'Flaherty Link to NUIG's press statement on President Gauck's conferring

Human Right to Health Conference Programme Under the President's Ethics Initiative, the Irish Centre for Human Rights and the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway held a conference on the Human Right to Health on the 6th February 2015.  The conference was addressed by President Higgins and was reported in national media (here and here) President Higgins' Opening Address on the Human Right to Health Human Right to Health Session 1 Human Right to Health Session 2  

Interested in joining the International Law Association? Membership is open to all individuals based in Ireland, regardless of nationality, and to all Irish nationals regardless of the country in which they are based. ILA application form

The Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway has welcomed the appointment of its Honorary Chairman, Professor William Schabas, to a new UN Commission of Inquiry. The independent Commission of Inquiry will investigate purported violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and particularly in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on 13 June. Professor Schabas will head up the three-person commission, details of which were announced last night (11 August). The Canadian is renowned for his work on international criminal and human rights law, and was Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway from 2000 to 2009 prior to the appointment of Professor Michael O’Flaherty to the post. He served on the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission until 2004, and was also a member of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in Human Rights. The Commission aims to establish the facts and circumstances of violations and crimes perpetrated and to identify those responsible. It will also make recommendations, in particular on accountability measures, all with a view to avoiding and ending impunity and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable, and on ways to protect civilians against any further assaults. Commenting on the appointment, Professor Ray Murphy of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, who recently returned from the region, said: “I cannot think of a more qualified person to lead this Inquiry. The Inquiry will play a vital role in establishing the facts and identifying those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. This is a most important step in ensuring all those responsible for violations are held accountable.”

To celebrate 75 years of Irish-Swiss diplomatic relations and the 150th anniversary of the First Geneva Convention, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ireland, in collaboration with the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, is presenting the exhibition “War from the Victims’ Perspective - Photographs by Jean Mohr”, at Art Gallery, The Quadrangle, NUI Galway. For more information, please see the War From the Victim's Perspective press release

Congratulations to ICHR PhD candidate and Doctoral Fellow, Amina Adanan, who has been awarded the EJ Phelan Fellowship in International Law by the National University of Ireland.The Fellowship is funded by a special bequest from the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward J Phelan and is intended to encourage and support a doctoral candidate of proven academic excellence towards a doctoral degree in any area of International Law, in a constituent university of the NUI. The award is named after distinguished diplomat Edward J. Phelan, one of the first international civil servants at the International Labour Organization, who later became the ILO’s fourth Director and first Director-General.Amina's research project,‘The Transitional Nature of Universal Jurisdiction’, provides a comprehensive analysis of the rationale for the application of universal jurisdiction to international crimes.

The Irish Centre for Human Rights made a submission to the Seanad Public Consultation Committee regarding Ireland's Fourth Periodic Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The submission focuses on issues arising regarding the treatment of asylum seekers in the refugee and subsidiary protection system and business enterprises and human rights. The submission can be viewed below:  ICHR Submission to Seanad Public Consultation Committee    

 Professor O'Flaherty, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, is today speaking at a side-event of the UN Human Rights Council on the topic, "Privacy in the Digital Age", organised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), United Nations, Palais des Nations, Geneva. The event coincides with the review of the US by the UN Human Rights Committee.Flyer on the right to privacy in the digital age

Protect Civil Society flyer Professor O'Flaherty is today chairing a side-event at the UN Human Rights Council on the topic, "Civil Society Space: Emerging Threats and Actions to Restore Freedoms".  Other speakers include UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedoms of Assembly and Association, Maina Kai and Ukrainian civil society leader, Oleksandra Matviychuk.    

Professor O'Flaherty, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, will be the principal speaker at the Universal Right Group Policy Dialogue on the topic of "UPR, Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures - the Connectivity" at the United Nations, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Tuesday 11 March.

Professor O'Flaherty has written a new blog on strengthening of the UN human rights treaty body system. This can be viewed on the Universal Rights Group's website

Interested in a PhD at the Irish Centre for Human Rights? The School of Law at NUI Galway (and its specialised research centres: the Irish Centre for Human Rights, the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, the Centre for Housing Law, Rights & Policy and the Marine Law & Ocean Policy Centre) is currently accepting applications for a number of Doctoral Fellowships from prospective full-time or existing full-time doctoral students. The fellowships provide PhD funding for a maximum of two years. The closing date is February 24th and fellowships will commence immediately upon award. More information can be found here

The Irish Centre for Human Rights launches the Galway Platform on Human Rights in Irish Foreign Policy. The Galway Platform on Human Rights Document and the Galway Platform on Human Rights Press Release are now available.‌    

The Irish Centre for Human Rights invites you to a talk on the human right to same-sex marriage with Tiernan Brady (GLEN) and John Fisher (ARC International). The event will be held in the Martin Ryan Annex (MRA) 201 at 18:00 on the 5th February.

9th Summer School in Cinema, Human Rights and Advocacy 26 June - 5 July 2014, Galway, Ireland This Summer School programme has for the last 8 years attracted young talented filmmakers and professionals from across the world who wish to engage in an exciting training course where ideas and projects are shared, developed and challenged by fellow participants and internationally acclaimed experts of film, television, photography and human rights. This year’s programme will also feature Films That Matters, a two days film event held in collaboration with Amnesty International and Galway One World Centre on 4th and 5th July 2014. Cinema and Human Rights and Advocacy (CHRA) is a training initiative offered by the Huston School of Film & Digital Media and the Irish Centre for Human Rights, part of the National University of Ireland, Galway and supported by the Open Society Foundations. This, the 9th Summer School in Cinema, Human Rights and Advocacy will run at the Huston School of Film & Digital Media in Galway from 26th June to 5th July 2014. The Summer School is led by Nick Danziger an internationally renowned practitioner in the field of human rights documentary making. The 10-day programme consists of eight teaching sessions, workshops and film screenings that combine human rights expertise and media studies. Sessions develop issues relating to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a History of Human Rights Cinema, Freedom of Expression and Censorship, the Use of Video in Human Rights Documentation and Advocacy, Producing Social Documentaries, the Role of Media in Period of Conflict and Production and Distribution of Human Rights Films. Each module is illustrated by film or documentary screenings. Elements of the summer school include information on the fundamentals of human rights, how to raise awareness of human rights on camera, developing a project proposal and how these ideas should be pitched. APPLY NOW! Deadline for application is 25th April 2014. For more information please visit www.chra.ie or email to info@chra.ie. You can also follow our FB page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Summer-School-in-Cinema-Human-Rights-and-Advocacy/128962737217375

The Irish Centre for Human Rights convened a meeting of Irish civil society leaders to draft the  Galway Platform on Human Rights in Irish Foreign Policy. The Galway Platform, which will be published in mid-January will constitute an important, wide ranging contribution to the current government consulation on the future shape of Irish foreign policy. The Galway Platform meeting was addressed by His Excellency, Petter Ville, (Norwegian Ambassador At Large For Human Rights).

The October Bulletin for the Irish Centre for Human Rights is now available. Bulletin Vol.12.3‌

The renowned UN human rights expert, Professor Michael O'Flaherty FRSA, has been appointed as Professor of Human Rights Law at the National University of Ireland Galway. He will also serve as Director of the University's Irish Centre for Human Rights. Professor O'Flaherty will combine the new roles with his current commitment as Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. During the period that Professor O'Flaherty remains at the Northern Ireland Commission the Irish Centre for Human Rights will be co-directed by Professor Ray Murphy. Since October 2011, Professor O'Flaherty has been Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.  Professor O'Flaherty has worked the UK university sector since 2003 as Professor of Applied Human Rights and Co-Director of the Human Rights Law Centre at the School of Law in University of Nottingham.  A native of Galway, Professor O'Flaherty has a distinguished reputation in the human rights arena. Since 2004, he has been an elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and is currently a Vice-Chairperson. He is also a member of the UN Expert Group on Human Rights Indicators, serves on a number of human rights advisory bodies of the UK government and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Professor O'Flaherty sits on committees of the European Roma Rights Centre, the Diplomacy Training Programme, the UN-UK Association, the World Organization Against Torture, the Hilde Back Education Fund and a number of other groups worldwide. Prior to taking up his posts at the University of Nottingham, he served in a number of senior positions with the United Nations. He established the UN human rights field missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994) and Sierra Leone (1998) and subsequently guided UN headquarters support to its human rights programmes across the Asia-Pacific region. National University of Ireland Galway President, Dr Jim Browne, welcomed the announcement: "Professor O'Flaherty brings an outstanding reputation to our School of Law and Irish Centre for Human Rights. Building on the strong foundations laid by his predecessor, Professor Bill Schabas, who retains an important connection with the Centre, Professor O'Flaherty will continue to develop the global reputation of the Centre for high quality academic programmes, leading edge research and engaged advocacy. Professor O'Flaherty brings a unique blend of academic skills and practical knowledge of human rights law which will enrich the teaching, research and outreach activities of the Centre." Additional Information about Professor O'Flaherty Professor O'Flaherty read law at University College Dublin (BCL), theology and philosophy at the Gregorian University, Rome (BPh, STB) and international relations at the University of Amsterdam (MA, MPhil). He is a Solicitor of the Irish Courts. He initiated the on-going "Dublin Process for the Strengthening of the UN Human Rights Treaty Body System" and was principal drafter of the General Comment of the UN Human Rights Committee on Freedom of Expression. He also led the drafting of the Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law Regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. He advises many international and regional inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations and is a member of the editorial boards of the Human Rights Law Review, the Irish Yearbook of International Law, theInternational Journal of Human Rights, European Yearbook on Human Rights, and Revue Trimestrielle Des Droits de L'Homme. He has served as Secretary of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and UN human rights advisor for implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. From 2000 to 2002 he chaired the UN reference group on human rights and humanitarian action