Tánaiste announces additional funding to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Press release
10 December 2018To mark World Human Rights Day and the 70th Anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is pleased to host its annual Civil Society Forum today 10th December 2018.
The Department is also proud to announce an allocation of an additional €650,000 in funding in 2018 to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), for its work on civil society space and reprisals, and to the OHCHR country office for the occupied Palestinian territories.
Welcoming the additional funding, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, T.D., said:
“I am delighted to announce this additional funding for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Across the world we are witnessing a retrenchment of civil society space as it comes under increasing pressure through the stigmatisation, harassment and even criminalisation of civil society actors. The allocation of this additional funding, on top of our core contribution of €1,865,000, reaffirms Ireland’s commitment to the promotion and protection of civil society space as a foreign policy priority.”
Today members of civil society will have the opportunity to come together in the Mansion House and reflect on the role of the UDHR in the modern world.
Throughout the day, panel discussions and speeches will draw on the five key questions below, reflecting on what can be done to ensure greater protection and promotion of human rights across the world:
- Is the UDHR fulfilling its purpose at its 70th Anniversary?
- What are the greatest human rights challenges facing the world at present?
- What we can do as citizens of the world to address these challenges and ensure that we promote and protect human rights?
- What are the current threats to the protection of human rights, and how can they be resisted?
- How can we enhance our mechanisms and structures at national and multilateral levels to ensure the protection of human rights across the world?
ENDS
Press Office
10 December 2018
