The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland have published their first annual report on the implementation of article 2 of the protocol, which guarantees no post-Brexit diminution of the rights, safeguards, and equality of opportunity provisions in the Good Friday Agreement.

Both commissions are tasked with ensuring that the UK government meets its commitment and are responsible for monitoring, supervising, enforcing and reporting on the ongoing implementation of the commitment.

According to the report, the bodies have already identified ways in which new laws risk undermining the rights, safeguards and equality protections in Protocol Article 2.

“We have identified protections for victims of trafficking in the EU Trafficking Directive as falling within scope of Protocol Article 2 and are very concerned that provisions in the Nationality and Borders Act may be in breach of the non-diminution commitment,” they said.

“We have also raised concerns about potential non-compliance with Protocol Article 2 in relation to the Elections Act and called on the UK Government to set out its assessment of how the (then) Bill conformed with Protocol Article 2.

“We are pleased to present the advice and recommendations arising from our work over the first 15 months of our new mandate and look forward to the Secretary of State’s written response.”