AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has called on the Government to decide whether it is willing to stand up for the human rights of people living in poverty by signing up to a major United Nations document next week. Carl O'Brien,Social Affairs Correspondent, reports
Negotiations to allow individuals to appeal to the UN when have suffered human rights violations like denial of access to safe water, adequate housing or health services enters its final stages on Monday.
The optional protocol, if adopted, would equally apply to Ireland, allowing individuals to take their complaints to the UN.
The provision for appealing to the UN is contained in the draft optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Noeleen Hartigan, programmes director of Amnesty International Ireland, said the overwhelming majority of countries in the world, including some of the most disadvantaged, are supporting full implementation of the protocol.
"A tiny minority of some of the better-off countries are conspiring to deny justice to people around the world by arguing for an 'a la carte' approach where states could cherry pick the rights that can be open to individual complaints," she said.
She said it was unacceptable that the the position of the Government remained unclear just days before a final committee meeting.
"Given our long tradition of overseas aid and development it would be a gross betrayal if Ireland stood in opposition to people who have suffered grave human rights violations in developing countries."
She said any diminishing of the protocol would constitute a failure by the Government to stand up for the rights of people living here.
"Whether it is the 700,000 people who were forcibly evicted from their homes in Zimbabwe or the 3,598 children on waiting lists for mental health services in Ireland - people should have a right to this remedy."
Amnesty International says a strong optional protocol would provide remedies to victims of economic, social and cultural rights violations, and send a message to governments and courts that these rights must be protected.
It would finally put them on an equal footing with civil and political rights 60 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the group says.