Alyson Kilpatrick

As an overview of the human rights landscape over the last year, the document includes areas requiring action from the UK government, NI Executive or public authorities, as well as the Commission’s recommendations to make issues human rights compliant.

Baroness Shami Chakrabarti was welcomed to the launch event at Stormont as guest speaker, delivering a keynote address titled ‘Human Rights: A Case for the Defence’.

Chief commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick said: “This year’s annual statement once again highlights the challenges facing human rights in Northern Ireland.

“We welcomed the return of our political institutions this year but implore our elected officials to take action in tackling the wide range of issues included in our report. We will continue to work closely with colleagues in both Stormont and Westminster; providing advice in line with our statutory duties and holding them to account.

“Our report covers areas including health and mental health; education; young people; poverty and cost of living pressures; homelessness and an adequate standard of living; conflict and legacy; racism and hate crime; domestic and sexual violence; and many more.

“These issues and many others are affecting their enjoyment of universal human rights and freedoms to which we are all entitled. There is much more to do to ensure that everyone can benefit from the same level of protection and that the level of protection is the highest achievable.”

Baroness Shami Chakrabarti CBE added: “It is a daunting privilege to be the guest of a human rights commission that has so stood out in its moral leadership in recent times.

“I have no doubt that in the years to come, Northern Ireland will more and more become a human rights and peace-building beacon for the wider world.”