Strasbourg, 23.11.2007 – Children's rights, juvenile justice and migrants' rights as well as measures against discrimination will be some of the main topics that the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, will assess during his five-day high-level official visit to Ireland starting on Monday 26 November.
Mr Hammarberg's agenda will also cover a broader range of human rights issues including the functioning of the police and the judiciary, women's rights, treatment of asylum seekers and the situation of Travellers. Commissioner Hammarberg will also visit various institutions in Dublin and Cork such as facilities for youth offenders, an accommodation centre for asylum-seekers, a women's shelter, a psychiatric establishment and Travellers' halting sites.
During the visit, the Commissioner will meet with members of the Irish Government including the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform Brian Lenihan, Minister for Health & Children Mary Harney, Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government John Gormley, Minister for Children Brendan Smith and Minister for Integration Policy Conor Lenihan. Further talks will be held with parliamentarians, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, President of the High Court, Attorney General, Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and Lord Mayors of Dublin and Cork. Moreover, Mr Hammarberg's agenda includes meetings with the Irish Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman for Children, the Equality Authority and representatives of civil society.
The Commissioner will present his preliminary observations on Friday 30 November at 11h15 during a press conference organised at Buswells Hotel (23-25 Molesworth Street) in Dublin.
The visit is part of the activities carried out in accordance with the Commissioner's mandate to assess the implementation of human rights commitments by all Council of Europe's member States. An assessment report with relevant recommendations will be published in early 2008.