Chief Commissioner Responds to the 'United Community Strategy'

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission welcomes the ‘Together: Building A United Community’ Strategy released by the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Chief Commissioner’ Professor Michael O’Flaherty’ said:
‘The Commission welcomes the publication of a Strategy to improve community relations and the wider aim of building a united and shared society. We recall that promoting a respectful and tolerant society is a human rights obligation on the State.
The Commission is pleased to see an emphasis on working towards better integrating our community. Actions such as shared school campuses and improving economic and social conditions are important peace building measures.
As identified by the First and deputy First Minister it is now vital that progress is also made on contentious and difficult issues such as flags’ parades and dealing with the past.
The new Strategy requires careful consideration’ but it provides an important basis on which we can make progress. The Commission in accordance with its own strategic priorities will advise Ministers and the Assembly on how they can ensure human rights are placed at the centre of the Strategy’s implementation plans.’
ENDS
Further information:
For further information please contact Claire Martin on: (028) 9024 3987 (office).
Notes to editors:
1. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body first proposed in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement (1998) and established in 1999 by the Northern Ireland Act (1998). It is answerable to Parliament at Westminster.