08 October 2002

Northern Ireland hosts UN human rights workshop

A group of 25 human rights experts from around the world are set to visit Belfast this week in order to attend a training workshop on how to make best use of the UN human rights mechanisms.

The workshop has been organised by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, with funding from the British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights Project Fund.

The meeting represents the first such gathering in the Commonwealth and is the latest in a line of initiatives being taken by the British Council to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.

Professor Brice Dickson, the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, said: "We are delighted to be hosting this important training workshop. We hope it will be exciting and empowering for all concerned and that the lessons learned will lead to better protection of human rights around the world."

The participants are mostly members of staff in human rights commissions in Commonwealth countries. These are official but independent bodies tasked with ensuring that the governments in those countries adhere to international human rights standards.

The delegates will be addressed by a variety of internationally renowned speakers with hands-on experience of using the various UN committees, working groups and rapporteurs in a way that ensures human rights are firmly and fully protected across the world. Close attention will be paid, for example, to the work of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on Racial Discrimination and the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Amongst the countries represented are Cameroon, Fiji, Ghana, India, Malawi, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Uganda. One of the newest and most crucial of human rights commissions - that in Afghanistan - is also taking part.

(GMcG)