Protecting Civil Society Space: 10 Years of Best Practices and Challenges”- Chief Commissioner speech at 63rd session of the Human Rights Council

Speech in Full 

Good afternoon. I am delighted to have been asked to contribute to this important session, but am disappointed I was unable to be there in person.

Congratulations and welcome to Laurence in his new role.

I have had the pleasure of working with him previously and know that he will make a terrific contribution in Geneva and to human rights more generally. 

I welcome the report of the High Commissioner, not only for bringing focus to this issue but for reflecting the true nature of our shared objective – to make human rights enjoyment universal, practical and effective.

At a time when human rights are under attack from multiple bad actors, it is critical we better understand and advance the key principles and enablers that extend beyond our own offices and borders. 

Human rights mean very little if they are not enjoyed universally, or if they are not felt in daily life. 

To enjoy rights, one has to know what they are and be able to enforce them. 

That requires participation - but not just being in the room, being fully engaged with human rights at every stage and at every level. 

We must look beyond the formal political processes – albeit recognising that they are crucial – to participation that informs and influences policy and decision-making, relevant to daily life and pursuits. 

NHRIs cannot reach everyone and do not hear directly from most, so we must harness the expertise and experience of civil society. 

If we are to benefit from them, we must play our part in holding the ground, occupying civic space and opening it up to others. 

We must all be able to organise, speak freely, engage safely and exercise our rights. 

That is anathema to those who resist universal human rights, so the first thing they do is to close civic space or make it too difficult or frightening to occupy. 

Across the world we see this happening. There are attempts to do just that. 

We see it at GANHRI and are increasing our efforts to support NHRIs do their work.

We are grateful to see the High Commissioner’s report that will make a huge difference if it is followed.

What we see in GANHRI is that those countries, in which people participate freely on the issue of human rights, are the same countries that have overcome conflict, have healthy democratic debate, are maintaining living standards despite global challenges and whose most marginalised and vulnerable people are included.

That happens not by default but by design. Those people then go on to contribute tenfold to the prosperity and wellbeing of society. 

Northern Ireland, to use my own home as an example, is both an inspirational and cautionary tale. 

It enjoyed a huge surge through peace, which brought prosperity, democratic accountability and improved public services. 

The peace (and the benefits that came with it) was only possible because human rights, equality, inclusion and meaningful participation were guaranteed by the law and overseen by independent institutions. 

Many in Northern Ireland had experienced inequality and disparity of access to civic space and services, which further fomented deep historical division. 

Those divisions were seen and felt most keenly in the areas of housing, social protection and in the enjoyment of a decent standard of living. 

To overturn those divisions, something had to be done to correct the disparities.

The agreed approach by the peace negotiators was to make all areas of life and all people amenable to human rights, within a framework that was enforceable, even against the state itself, and even when political opinion had shifted.

That framework had to be bigger than Northern Ireland and protected by our friends and neighbours across the world. 

The NIHRC was set up to protect the human rights vision locally, and we have worked ever since to assist and win the confidence of people here.

The peace agreement committed to the protection of the rights of all the people in Northern Ireland - whether they were born or raised here or arrived recently and whether they are in the majority or minority. 

That was deliberate and was foundational to the whole process. 

It is what opened up society to peace and has maintained it ever since. 

However, that is now under challenge. 

I said NI was a cautionary tale, and it is, because the worldwide trend - of regression in rights protection and the very notion of human rights at all – is also seen here. 

There is a movement that suggests human rights should only be for those who have earned them. The earning of them being determined by the privileged few.

Human rights are facing attack through the media (mainstream as well as social media), some politicians are deliberately denigrating human rights and trying to paint them as partisan.

People are increasingly afraid to advocate for rights on those issues against which there is a growing tide of disparagement. 

We still have a backdrop of paramilitarism and violence, fear is real. Dividing people along lines is what happened before and everyone suffered, starting with the most vulnerable. 

We learned that when people do not believe in universal rights, human rights fail, civil society groups fail, we, as NHRIs, fail and ultimately aspiration to a decent society fails. 

We are resisting that in the use of our litigation powers, our investigatory powers and our engagement and education services, first and foremost, by trying to include those who haven’t or can’t access us easily.

We have to help encourage people, help civic society succeed and rely on them to help us succeed. 

To be trite for a moment - people are our greatest strength - but they will not support any of us without a visceral attachment to human rights that they have reason to believe make their lives better.

Notes to Editors

1. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)  sets out its priorities at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council GANHRI priorities at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council - GANHRI
2. Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) Read more about GANHRI here
3. GANHRI is managed by a committee entitled GANHRI Bureau which shall comprise sixteen individuals, including the GANHRI Chairperson and the GANHRI Secretary. They are elected by the General Assembly for a three-year term.
4. Chief Commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick was appointed  Vice-Chair of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in March 2025 Read more: Chief Commissioner appointed as Secretary to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions | Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission