Liam Herrick

Ireland has long been a champion of the work and the rights of HRDs. IHREC initiated the research for this study both in light of this long-standing national commitment to HRDs and its own objectives to engage with and support its fellow National Human Rights Institutions and National Equality Bodies around the world and to support civil society to promote human rights and equality.

The research also supports IHREC’s objective to “protect and promote human rights and equality in communities by partnering with and supporting civil society to (…) increase solidarity; and support effective community responses”. The initiative to undertake this research reflects an interest in supporting and protecting HRDs defending equality rights both at home and abroad.

While recognising that the HRD framework has always included and encompassed the work of HRDs working on equality rights, the study aims to understand whether – and if so how – the framework of norms, standards, mechanisms and institutions should be further developed or implemented to meet the particular needs of HRDs defending equality rights.

While the study is global and international in scope and focus, its recommendations focus at the domestic level and in particular on what IHREC and relevant Irish government departments could do to improve protection for HRDs defending equality rights both within Ireland and – in collaboration with others – beyond its borders.

Chief commissioner Liam Herrick said: “We are seeing the fragility in the international rules-based order and a shrinking of space for those working to defend and uphold rights and equality protections in Ireland and globally.

“There is an established international framework of norms, standards, mechanisms and institutions for the protection and support of HRDs for HRDs, including the essential role played by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and civil society organisations such as Front Line Defenders. This exploratory study investigates how HRDs working to defend equality rights and HRDs exposed to discrimination are included in this framework and whether the framework should be further developed or implemented to meet the needs of the HRDs defending equality and non-discrimination protections.”

Mr Herrick continued: “The study highlights gaps in the protection and support for HRDs defending equality rights and HRDs exposed to discrimination, with both a lack of protection mechanisms in States and lack of targeted actions to consider the particular risks of those exposed to discrimination.

“The study calls for consideration of an equality by design approach to HRD protection to ensure that the particular risks, harms and challenges faced by HRDs defending equality rights and HRDs exposed to discrimination is integrated into the design and implementation of HRD protection and support mechanisms in Ireland from the outset.”