Ireland is breaching its international obligations by failing to incorporate key treaties into law which recognise economic, social and cultural rights, according to research to be published today by Amnesty International.
The research, Our Rights, Our Lives: Human Rights Based Approaches in Ireland, Principles, Policies and Practice, explores how governments have performed in promoting or protecting human rights.
The findings will form part of a wider campaign aimed at bringing human rights into the mainstream policies and practices of interested organisations and the Government.
The failure to adopt core human rights principles in its policies means successive governments have embarked on policies which have resulted in the disadvantaged and vulnerable being further marginalised, the report says. Instead, the needs of those who already have access to power and influence have been prioritised.
In attempting to make human rights a political priority, the report recommends the establishment of a national human rights action plan aimed at informing public opinion and increasing public demand for human rights-based development in Ireland.
This could be achieved, it says, through co-ordinating disparate voices into a broad-based human rights movement including traditional human rights groups, media, faith-based organisations and trade unions.
A national plan, it adds, should be action-based and set out what the human rights situation is and where problems need to be overcome. It should specify who is to take relevant actions and within what timeframe.
The report also suggests incorporating Ireland's human rights treaty obligations through an amendment to the Constitution.
It should also become a party to any outstanding human rights treaties, such as the convention protecting the rights of migrant workers.
The research acknowledges that consulting and co-ordinating with government is crucial. It says visible support from the top echelons of government would help mobilise action and give a high profile to the project.
The report notes that the language of human rights has traditionally been associated with the developing world. However, it says applying the principles of human rights were hugely relevant to social needs, economic well-being, cultural pursuits and environmental quality.
"A human rights-based approach is the use of recognised and agreed international human rights standards to inform policy, practice and institutional structures," it says. "It is a process which applies a number of core principles: participation, accountability, non-discrimination and empowerment. It is aimed at ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights by all."
The details of the research findings and Amnesty's campaign will be presented and discussed at a conference at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin today.