Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland hosted the latest in its series of events across the island on Friday, May 3, 2024. The Commission hosts community conversations about a wide variety of topics that are essential to the creation of a plan for a New and United Ireland for all. This Commission was focused on Rights in a New Ireland and featured campaigner and activist Ailbhe Smyth, Endowed Chair and Associate Professor in Human Rights at St Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada Dr, Shannonbrooke Murphy, Professor of Human Rights Law in the School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast Colin Harvey, and Director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Daniel Holder.
The event began with opening remarks by Sinn Féin’s Chair of the Commission on the Future of Ireland, Declan Kearney. He began by reminding everyone that under the GFA there was to be a Bill of Rights for the North as well as other protections.
“The Good Friday Agreement and the peace process have transformed Ireland, North and South. Our challenge is to complete the work commenced 26 years ago in the Agreement,” Kearny said. Twenty six years after the Agreement there is no Bill of Rights, no Civic Forum in the North, no all-Ireland Civic Forum, and no all-Ireland Charter of Rights.
“There is an onus on us to put in place strategies that promote understanding, an internationally compliant human rights system of laws & governance that incorporate rights, freedoms and responsibilities that guarantee civil and political rights.”
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