Ireland rejects some UN recommendations on human rights

[News_Editor]

Ireland rejects some UN recommendations on human rights

2011-10-11 06:35:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

DUBLIN (BNO NEWS) -- The Irish government on Monday rejected a number of recommendations on human rights from the United Nations (UN) member states taking part in the Universal Periodic Review, the Irish Times reported.

In a report published by the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, member states made 126 recommendations to improve human rights in areas such as mental health, detention and children's rights. Of the 126 recommendations, the Irish government said it accepted 62 and would "study carefully" a further 49 before the next Human Rights Council session in March 2012.

Speaking on behalf of a coalition of 17 advocacy groups and trade unions, the director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Mark Kelly, welcomed the government's actions and said that the most challenging phase of the process will be to implement the recommendations. "This is a remarkably high 'strike rate' and testament to the seriousness with which the Universal Periodic Review process has been taken by Government and civil society," he said.

The government pledged to address poor sanitation and over-crowding in prisons, a children's rights referendum, torture prevention and gender equality. Of the 15 recommendations it rejected, six are related to abortion, according to the news report.

Last week, some 15 states expressed concern at poor sanitation, overcrowding and violence among detainees during a hearing in Geneva. The Irish Penal Reform Trust welcomed the government's decision to accept the recommendations on prisons, but said it must be followed by specific plans and timetables.

The Universal Periodic Review involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years. Ireland is seeking to be elected to the Human Rights Council in 2012.

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