UK Human Rights Record Examined at United Nations

The UK’s three Human Rights Commissions are today giving evidence on the UK’s human rights record as part of the Universal Periodic Review process’ where the UK is examined every four years by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
NIHRC Chief Commissioner Professor Michael O’Flaherty stated:
‘As part of this crucial United Nations evidence session’ the Human Rights Commission will today express its grave concern on the failure of the UK to respond to recommendations raised in UPR concerning Northern Ireland. We will use this opportunity to state that the UK’s international human rights obligations apply across its territory and with equal effect in areas that have devolved authority. The Commission believes that the UK Government can still correct the gap in the response in time for their appearance before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.’
As part of the evidence session the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission will also:
• State that the Human Rights Act is an essential legal protection and that international organisations like the United Nations should scrutinise and challenge plans to scrap the Act.
• Express concern that the current UK Bill of Rights process may undermine existing protections in the Human Rights Act 1998.
ENDS
Further information:
For further information please contact (Claire Martin) (028) 9024 3987.
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.
2. Professor Alan Miller’ Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission will deliver a joint statement on behalf of the three UK Commissions at the United Nations Human Rights Council on 20 September 2012.
3. Read the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s full submission on UPR.
4. In a joint statement’ The Equality and Human Rights Commission’ the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Human Rights Commission’ to the Human Rights Council will warn of the growing alarm felt in all parts of the UK at public spending cuts.
The submission reads: ‘We are concerned by the effect of the economic crisis and austerity measures adopted by the UK Government on [the] enjoyment of human rights in the UK. We are particularly concerned with their potential effect on women’ children’ ethnic minorities and disabled people. We recommend that the UK Government ensures it respects human rights in budgetary decisions and carefully monitors the impact of policy on disadvantaged groups through equality and human rights impact assessments.’
The joint submission also calls on the UK government to:
- Develop a plan to implement the recommendations which come from the Universal Periodic Review. The UK government should timetable when actions would be taken’ with civil society and the commissions holding the government to account on its delivery.
- Sign and ratify international human rights treaties and protocols guaranteeing the right to individual petition. For example’ the UK has still not ratified the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ under which children would be able to bring allegations of human rights violations directly to the responsible UN Committee.
- Adopt the many specific recommendations made to it including improving legal safeguards for those in immigration detention’ acting on the UK’s record of violence against women and children in society’ conditions of detention’ especially for children and people with disabilities’ and tackling discrimination’ especially against members of ethnic or religious minorities.
At an earlier meeting in May other UN member states made several recommendations to the UK government’ including that it:
- Develops a National Action Plan on Human Rights.
- Remove reservations or interpretive declarations to international human rights treaties;
- Incorporate international human rights standards’ including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ into domestic law;
- Comply with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.
- Reconsider the continued legality of corporal punishment against children and raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
- Guarantee economic’ social and cultural rights and ensure that human rights are taken into account in the context of economic austerity’ particularly the rights of vulnerable groups and in the context of welfare reform;
- Take effective measures to combat all forms of violence against women and increase efforts to combat human trafficking.
- Recognise the human rights to water and sanitation.