Volume 5, Issue 3
BULLETIN
Irish Centre for Human Rights
May 2005
Irish Centre for
Human Rights
Coming Events:
28 May 2005
One-day Conference:
“Future Developments in Refugee
Law”
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Summer Schools 2005
M I N I S T E R O F S TA T E , F R A N K F A H E Y ,
VISITS CENTRE ON EVE OF
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2005
Speaking at the Irish Centre for Human
Rights on the eve of International Women’s
Day, Minister of State at the Department of
Justice, Equality and Law Reform spoke of
the severe under funding of Ireland’s rape
crisis services. The Minister, who had recently returned from an address to the UN
Commission on the Status of Women on
behalf of the government, has special responsibility for equality issues. He stated
that the government is not giving adequate
financial support towards rape crisis and
domestic violence services.
During the Minister’s visit to the Centre,
which marked the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, Mr Fahey
stated that the work being carried out by
such services was both “cost effective and
critically important.” He accepted that “the
amount of funding for rape crisis and domestic violence services” was not sufficient
and stated that he had recently arranged a
delegation to meet Minister for finance,
Brian Cowen on the issue.
Nóirín Clancy of the Women’s Human
Rights Alliance acknowledged that certain
progress had been made on equality issues
and legislation but reminded the Minister
that the gender debate is not over. Ms.
Clancy also questioned the political will to
Pictured above are Frank Fahey, Minister of State at
the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform,
(l), Elaine Harvey of the Galway People’s Resource
Centre (c) and Nóirín Clancy, Co-ordinator of the
Women’s Human Rights Alliance
increase female participation in decisionmaking bodies, and pointed to the reduced
level of State funding for women’s groups
which should be influencing policy debate.
Ms. Clancy contended that there is still
widespread concern among nongovernmental organisations over the content
of the government’s national women’s strategy, which aims to transpose agreements
made ten years ago at the UN’s world conference on women in Beijing, into national
continued on page 3
Minority Rights:
11-18 June 2005
International Criminal
Court
9-14 July 2005
For further details see:
www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/
summer_schools.html
New Publications by ICHR Staff
Staff from the Irish Centre for Human Rights have recently published three books dealing
with international law. Truth Commissions and Courts: The Tension Between Criminal Justice and the Search for Truth is published as a result of a conference dealing with truth commissions and courts, which was held at the Centre in October 2002. The book is a collection
of essays drawing on country examples such as Guatemala and Sierra Leone and is edited by
William Schabas and Shane Darcy.
On the area of minority rights law, International Law and Indigenous Peoples, written by
Joshua Castellino and Niamh Walsh, has recently been published by Nijhoff Publishers.
Finally, Olaoluwa Olusanya, the Bank of Ireland Research Fellow at the Centre, has recently
published Sentencing War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity under the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Dr. Olusanya’s book will be formally
launched at the Irish Centre for Human Rights on June 15, 2005.
Page 2
Volume 5, Issue 3
Training the military on
human rights: Reflections from UN Training
School
‘The course was the
last of four regional
pilot courses organised
by the Office of the
High Commissioner for
Human Rights...’
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
During the first week of March this year,
Dr. Ray Murphy, and Katarina Mansson
represented the Irish Centre for Human
Rights at the UN International Training
School in de Curragh Camp. Dr. Murphy
was one of six lecturers on the course and
Katarina Mansson is currently researching
peace-keeping and human rights at the
ICHR. Almost 30 military instructors from
peacekeeping training centres throughout
Europe gathered here to learn about international human rights standards and how they
relate to UN peace operations. Upon completion of the course, the participants are
expected to ‘bring rights back home’: ensure that human rights are integrated in the
curriculum of the respective national military training centres for personnel to deploy
in UN peace operations around the world.
The importance of endowing military
peacekeepers with a solid knowledge in
human rights has been highlighted in a
number of recent events and developments:
widespread sexual exploitation and the rise
in prostitution and trafficking in women in
areas where UN peace operations are emplaced and the significant increase of legal
responsibility of the UN in places such as
Kosovo and East Timor. But also, importantly, the recognition that peacekeepers are
potentially crucial human rights actors
themselves: their monitoring and reporting
tasks, the protection of civilians, and the
provision of humanitarian assistance are but
a few examples.
The course was the last of four regional
pilot courses organised by the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights,
which will result in a UN Training Manual
Pictured above are participants at the human rights
training, which was held in de Curragh Camp in
March of this year.
on Human Rights for Military Instructors
due to be published later this year. Seen in a
broader perspective, the training is part of
the efforts to integrate human rights in all
activities of the UN system.
All peacekeepers must receive human rights
training prior to deployment in the field: the
unanimity on this issue was unshakable
among the participants. A surprising consensus also prevailed concerning what they
believed was the most common perception
of human rights among peacekeepers: that it
is ‘not my job’ but something which belongs to the ‘miscellaneous’ organisations
in the mission. The participants themselves,
however, be they from Sweden or Cyprus,
considered their own role in the field as one
of human rights protectors and promoters.
What rights are really about, however, appeared for many participants ‘a matter of
common sense’ and ‘something we know
from home.’
Given the vivid engagement shown during
the daily exercises of mini-scenarios where
participants tested their ability to apply theory to a real case event one would be confident that a seed of human rights awareness
was sown during the week in the Curragh.
The extent to which it will take root and
bear fruit in the reality of UN peace operations remains to be seen.
ICHR Awarded Peacebuilding Research Contract
The aim of the
research is to develop
a framework for the
implementation of a
human rights approach
in the Peace II
Programme
The Irish Centre for Human Rights has been awarded a research contract on “Applying a Human Rights Approach to Peacebuilding and Reconciliation” by ADM/CPA. Area Development Management Ltd. (ADM) is a company established by the Irish Government and the
European Commission to support local social and economic development in Ireland and the
Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) is a statutory body that works to prevent and eliminate poverty in Ireland. In 1995 ADM /CPA were awarded responsibility for the implementation of a
substantial part of the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in the
Border Region of Ireland.
The aim of the research to develop a framework for the implementation of a human rights
approach in the Peace II Programme. The research to be carried out by Peter Fitzmaurice of
the Irish Centre for Human Rights aided by Ms Catherine Joyce and Ms Catherine McGrath
of the Masters Programme under the supervision of Professor William Schabas.
Page 3
Volume 5, Issue 3
Continued from Page 1
policy. In response to Ms. Clancy’s assertion that the strategy should incorporate
equality within a human rights framework,
Minister Fahey said that he would be happy
to meet representatives of the Women’s
Minister Fahey said that Human Rights Alliance to ensure that key
he would be happy to issues were incorporated into the strategy.
meet representatives of
the Women’s Human
Rights Alliance
Pictured in background is Minister of State at the
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Frank Fahey, during his visit to the Irish
Centre for Human Rights to mark International
Women’s Day 2005.
ICHR Summer Schools 2005
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
Email:
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Preparations are now well under way for the hosting of the annual summer schools on
Minority Rights and the International Criminal Court at the Irish Centre for Human Rights.
Following a successful course in 2004, focussing on Asia, this year the Minority Rights
Summer School will turn its attention to problems for minorities arising in situations of
conflict. From 11-18 June 2005 the course participants will seek to understand, assimilate
and critically evaluate legal arguments with respect to the international minority rights
regime and how it pertains to minorities and indigenous peoples. In addition they are encouraged to analyse the underlying philosophical basis within the discourse and to become
familiar with current debates and cases with a special focus on issues such as the right to
land, affirmative action policies, and effective political participation and restitution
Continuing its highly successful format of recent years, this years summer school on the
International Criminal Court will provide students with a detailed description of the establishment of the Court, its applicable law, its structures and its operations. Lectures will also
speak to related issues in international criminal law, including universal jurisdiction and
immunities. The summer school boasts a very impressive line-up of speakers this year,
including Judge Philippe Kirsch, President of the International Criminal Court and Richard
Dicker of Human Rights Watch .
Further details on both courses can be found at http://www.conference.ie/index/index.asp
Refugee and Asylum Legal Support Unit News
Publications
A list of publications by
staff and students of the
Irish Centre for Human
Rights can be viewed at:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights/publications.htm
The latest of the joint Practitioner/Student Seminars took place on the 26 February 2005 at
the Irish Centre for Human Rights. The topic of the session was “Children and the Asylum
Process” and was addressed by Ciara Smyth of the Law Faculty of NUI Galway who gave
an overview of children in the Irish asylum process. This was followed by presentations
from Itayi Viriri of the Irish Refugee Council and Anke Bohm of the Refugee Legal Service.
Two students, Andrea Breslin and Eadaoin O’Brien, from the LL.M. Masters programme
also gave presentations on their research on the subject of Unaccompanied minors in the
Irish asylum system.
In addition, the Irish Centre for Human Rights will jointly host a one-day conference on
future developments in refugee law with Queen’s University Belfast on May 28th 2005.
The conference’s keynote address will be given by Professor James Hathaway, director of
the University of Michigan’s Program in Refugee and Asylum Law, For further details,
please contact Peter Fitzmaurice of the ICHR.
ICHR Conducts Research on Racism
The Irish Centre for Human Rights has been commissioned by Amnesty International (Irish
Section) to conduct research on Institutional and State Racism in Ireland. The research will
examine the existence of institutional racism at key governmental departments and will seek
to address whether there are policies or understandings of racism and their possible impact;
whether the State is under any international obligations to take steps to combat racism;
whether staff are trained on how to deal with racial diversity and issues in their everyday
interaction. Dr Vinodh Jaichand is directing the research with Louise Beirne, an LLM
graduate of the Centre, as the researcher. The final report is expected in June 2005
Page 4
Volume 5, Issue 3
Recent Visitors to the Irish
Centre for Human Rights:
Tony D’Costa,
General Secretary, Pax
Christi International
Catholic Peace Movement
Phil Shiner,
Director, Public Interest
Lawyers, Human Rights
Lawyer of the Year, 2004
Irish Centre for Human Rights:
www.nuigalway.ie/
human_rights
E m a i l :
humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Pictured left is
William Schabas,
speaking at a conference on Human
Rights and Genocide.
The conference was
organised by the
Armenian Foreign
Ministry to coincide
with the 90th
anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
ICHR Evaluates Training
The Centre has been chosen to evaluate human
rights education training being given to judges
and prosecutors on non-discrimination in Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia and Hungary. The project is undertaken together with the European
Training and Research Centre for Human
Rights and Democracy at the University of
Graz and partners in each country where training has to occur.
Progress of Model Transitional Codes Project
International attention continues to focus on the Model Codes for Post Conflict Criminal
Justice Project run jointly by the Irish Centre for Human Rights and the United States Institute of Peace, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In January, the International Peace
Academy organized a one-day roundtable on the model codes in New York, bringing together a number of UN Member State Permanent Representatives, legal advisors and UN
officials and members of the NGO and academic communities. Discussions centered on the
development of the codes and their potential future uses in the context of law reform efforts
in post conflict States. In March, the International Peace Academy held an experts meeting
on Securing the Rule of Law: Assessing International Strategies for Post Conflict Criminal
Justice¸ at which Professor William Schabas, made a presentation on the model codes. In
late April, an ancillary meeting to the 11th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention
and Criminal Justice took place in Bangkok, and was facilitated by the Irish Centre for Human Rights and the United States Institute of Peace. The model codes were also presented at
one of the main workshops taking place during the congress, entitled Enhancing Criminal
Justice Reform, Including Restorative Justice. In conjunction with consultations and presentations, work continues on refining and finalizing the model codes in anticipation of their
forthcoming publication at the end of 2005.
Pictured right are Vivienne O’ Connor and William
Schabas of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, speaking
on the Model Codes for Post-Conflict Justice at the UN
Congress on Criminal Justice, in Bangkok, on 18 April.
Publications
Staff and students of the Centre have published
widely and given numerous conference presentations in the last number of months. For full details see the Centre website at http://
www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/publications.htm
The Irish Centre for Human Rights Bulletin is compiled and edited by Edel Hughes. If you wish to sign up for any of the above activities or to receive information regarding the
work the Centre carries out, please to not hesitate to
contact us at:
Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, Ireland.
Phone: +353-(0)91-493798,
Fax: +353-(0)91-494575,
Email: humanrights@nuigalway.ie
Website: www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights