Tánaiste addresses Inaugural Meeting of Business and Human Rights Implementation Group
Press release
16 January 2019
Tánaiste addresses Inaugural Meeting of Business and Human Rights Implementation Group
The first meeting of the Business and Human Rights Implementation Group took place today, 16 January, in Iveagh House.
The Implementation Group has been set up to monitor implementation of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights, a whole government initiative launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade at the end of 2017 and will be chaired by Ms Breege O’Donoghue, formerly Primark’s Group Director of New Markets and Business Development.
Addressing today’s meeting, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D. reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to protecting and promoting human rights both at home and overseas and emphasised the complementarity between the protection of human rights and the promotion of economic growth, trade and investment:
“Compliance with international standards on human rights is no longer seen as impeding development or undercutting success. Instead, policies and strategies which show due regard to human dignity should be seen as fostering prosperity.”
ENDS
Press Office
16 January 2019