Global Vision for Local Impact – the ICCL's 2011 Annual Report
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2011 Global Vision for Local Impact Annual Report 2011 ICCL Annual Report 2011 Contents introduction Message from the Co-Chairs 02 Director’s Foreword 03 our people 04 our work — Fostering a Human Rights Culture 08 — Promoting Justice 14 — Securing Equality 20 — Education & Outreach 24 organisational development 30 remembering kader 32 publications and events 34 our finances 39 Annual Report 2011 ICCL Annual Report 2011 1 Message from the Co-Chairs 2011 has been one of the ICCL’s The Board’s own work has developed Our success in attracting core funding from The activities outlined in this Annual busiest years ever. In addition to significantly during the past year. We have the European Commission for our work on Report are only the highlights of the ICCL’s our programmed work under the appointed a Governance Sub-Committee criminal justice and victims’ rights played work during 2011. These higher-profile Strategic Plan devised by the Board, and developed and adopted a Code of a significant role in improving our cash pieces of work have been accompanied the ICCL had to step into the breach Governance for the ICCL. New directors go flow during the year. by active behind-the-scenes diplomacy, and run a referendum campaign, at through a detailed induction programme, support for colleagues in the non- short notice and with very limited designed to familiarize them with the However, although we have reduced our governmental sector and patient nurturing resources. A reminder, if one were organisation’s operations, management dependency on our biggest single donor, of the relationships that are essential to needed, of why it is so important and governance structures. the Atlantic Philanthropies, in line with our ensure that the ICCL retains its influential that Ireland retains a genuinely strategic targets, we remain precariously position in Irish public life. Much of this independent human rights watchdog. You will see a number of new faces in reliant on too few sources of major funding. activity is less visible than the media- this year’s annual report and we are Thirty-five years after it was founded, friendly work at which the ICCL excels, delighted that the Board has been further the ICCL has become a fully-fledged but it is no less vital. strengthened by the addition of Alan D.P. professional human rights organisation, Brady, Elaine Dewhurst, Frances Feeney but its future remains far from secure. We would like to thank the ICCL’s and Claire Hamilton. We continue to seek dedicated staff team for all of their out new talent for the Board to ensure that Over the coming year, we will be reaching work during 2011 and we are looking the ICCL retains its position as a sector- out to those of you who have supported forward to another challenging year, leading non-governmental organisation. the ICCL in the past, encouraging you to during which concerted efforts by the make a more significant investment in our Board and staff will be required to One of the biggest challenges facing us as future. At present, we have the financial retain and enhance the capacity that a Board is ensuring that the ICCL will have and human resources to do our job in the ICCL is so fortunate to have acquired. a sustainable future. In 2011 we reached an effective way, but we will need your our highest-ever level of annual income, active help to guarantee that the ICCL will We are counting on your support! passing the one million Euro mark for become a permanent part of the human the first time in the ICCL’s history. rights infrastructure in Ireland. Natalie McDonnell, Co-Chair (Policy) Niall Mulligan, Co-Chair (Operations) Niall Mulligan Natalie McDonnell 2 ICCL Annual Report 2011 Director’s Foreword The notion of the universality of Our flagship project in 2011 focused on Closer to home, the ICCL played a more Rights in Under a Minute Challenge. human rights has always underpinned Ireland’s first ever Universal Periodic traditional watchdog role by opposing The Challenge encouraged young film the ICCL’s work. Human rights are Review (UPR) by the United Nations the Government’s proposals to grant makers to create their own human rights the inherent possession of each Human Rights Council. Unique amongst the Oireachtas judicial powers without film no more than 60 seconds long, with and every one of us, not something global human rights monitoring providing appropriate safeguards. The the support of a new educational resource, to be generously granted by procedures, the UPR is a peer-review organisation led a successful campaign Human Rights Through the Lens, designed the drafters of a constitution or process, during which other United Nations that saw the Government’s proposal for the Civic, Social and Political Education grudgingly conceded by a court. member States scrutinize the performance defeated by a convincing majority of (CPSE) curriculum. of the country under review. To equip the voters. Reform of the Constitution should Human Rights Council to do this, the ICCL never be undertaken lightly or in haste, Building effective networks at national and Our modern human rights system sets led the 17-member Your Rights Right Now and the ICCL will continue closely to European level is an integral part of the out these values in a series of global and civil society UPR coalition. During the monitor future referendum proposals ICCL’s work and, in 2011, this assumed a regional treaties, to many of which Ireland year, Your Rights Right Now produced a for human rights compliance. global dimension with the formalisation of has voluntarily subscribed. However, stakeholder report endorsed by more than the International Network of Civil Liberties our domestic law and practice have not 100 civil society organisations, lobbied the 2011 is likely to be the last full year in which Organisations (INCLO), of which the ICCL always kept pace. This much is clear diplomatic corps in Dublin and Geneva, the Irish Human Rights Commission and is one of ten founder members. At the from judgments of the European Court of raised awareness of the UPR process and the Equality Authority will exist. Merger INCLO’s meeting in Dublin in December Human Rights against Ireland and from the ensured that the voices of vulnerable discussions are at an advanced stage and 2011, I was honoured to be elected as recommendations of a number of Council of people were heard. The Government it is anticipated that the current equality one of the two founding Co-Chairs of Europe and United Nations treaty bodies. has committed to implement the vast functions of the Equality Authority will this new global network of like-minded majority of the UN member States’ 127 be assumed by a new Irish Human Rights organisations. The INCLO’s global reach During 2011, the ICCL has worked UPR recommendations. Global vision has and Equality Commission. The ICCL has has the capacity significantly to strengthen hard to enhance the implementation secured local impact. welcomed the merger, which is capable the impact of the ICCL’s local work. in Ireland of the international human of producing a new body that is more rights standards: applying global Key developments affecting Ireland’s laws effective than either of its predecessors. I am enormously grateful to all our vision to secure local impact. continue to emerge at European level and In order to support the future case law work supporters and friends for the assistance 2011 saw the ICCL’s work on European of the IHREC, the ICCL has commissioned that they have provided over the course criminal justice issues recognized by core an authoritative book on the Equal Status of this very busy year. Particular thanks funding from the European Commission, Acts and a comprehensive review of anti- are due to the Atlantic Philanthropies Mark Kelly enabling us to dedicate a staff member to discrimination law in Ireland, both of for their recognition of the impact of work on procedural rights and the human which will be published in 2012. our work and their unflinching support. rights of victims. In future, European I hope that you will enjoy reading this Union Directives on these issues will have Our awareness raising and outreach work year’s annual report on which, as ever, the force of law in Ireland and it is vital was another highlight of 2011. Successful we would welcome your comments. that we understand and are in a position projects documented in this report include to influence the content of those Directives our third annual Human Rights Film Mark Kelly, Director from a human rights perspective. Awards, which included our new Human ICCL Annual Report 2011 3 Our People Meet our Executive Board & Staff 4 ICCL Annual Report 2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD Natalie McDonnell (Co-Chair – Policy) Niall Mulligan (Co-Chair – Operations) John Kennedy The ICCL is governed by an Executive Board drawn from academia, business and the law. Mary McIvor Siobhán Cummiskey Claire Hamilton Elaine Dewhurst Frances Feeney Alan D.P. Brady ICCL Annual Report 2011 5 Our People ADDITIONS TO THE ICCL’S BOARD IN 2011 Dr Elaine Dewhurst worked in the Law Frances Feeney is the Managing Director Claire Hamilton practised as a barrister School of the Law Society of Ireland as a of Social Capital Ireland. A financial in criminal law until 2004 when she Course Executive in Civil Litigation, Civil accountant and Fellow of the Institute became a full time lecturer in criminology Dr Alan DP Brady is a practicing barrister Advocacy and Landlord and Tenant Law of Chartered Certified Accountants, in Dublin Institute of Technology. In DIT and an adjunct lecturer in the Law School from 2006–2007.