In Respecting Rights in a Recession, the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC) has stated governments have a duty to uphold fundamental human rights to the highest extent possible - even in times of financial difficulty. The paper points out that Ireland is "not the first country" to face financial hardship, and will not be the last. There are rules and guidance within human rights law to assist with the protection and promotion of rights in difficult economic circumstances.
The paper notes that the Irish Government has emphasised in its Programme for Government 2011 that it will "require all public bodies to take due note of equality and human rights in carrying out their functions".
The paper covers eight categories of broad principles, and centres itself on the obligations enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: implementation of International Human Rights Law; respecting, protecting and promoting human rights; minimum core of obligations; progressive realisation of rights; using available resources; obligation to refrain from retrogressive measures; allowing for participation, accountability and transparency; and particular economic, social and cultural rights - such as the right to social security and the right to housing.
FLAC's Policy and Campaigns Officer, Saoirse Brady, says "FLAC is acutely aware of the current financial pressures on state resources however the fact remains that fundamental human rights not only have to be maintained and respected, but also promoted and progressed. The government has to make the best possible use of state resources to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected especially in times of economic uncertainty, which have a greater impact on the most disadvantaged in our society."
Click here to view the paper in full.
Click here to view Ireland's Programme for Government 2011.
Earlier this Summer, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) General Assembly unanimously adopted a declaration which noted that European rescue and bail-out plans were "putting people deeper into poverty and threatening social cohesion". The EAPN urged European leaders to put "human rights at the centre of its efforts to fight against poverty" and to defend the "welfare state and social rights as a necessary prerequisite for economic recovery".
Click here to read more.
Readers of the Bulletin may remember the words of United Nations expert Magdalena Sepúlveda that "human rights are not dispensable and cannot be disregarded in times of economic uncertainty". Click here to read her full report.