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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
UN committee calls for greater Traveller representation in Irish politics
Low levels of political representation among Traveller and Roma women in Ireland have been criticised during a Government delegation's appearance before a United Nations committee. Ireland was examined on Friday by a UN committee on women's rights with regard to its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Ireland last faced questioning by the Geneva-based CEDAW committee in 2017. The delegation also heard calls for guarantees to protect the human rights of sex workers, an assessment of the number of victims of child trafficking, and for complete restorative justice in relation to the mother and baby home redress scheme. The marginalisation of migrant, Traveller and Roma women dominated concerns voiced by the CEDAW committee, which consists of 23 human rights experts, with employment levels and political representation among topics raised. The implementation of education strategies addressing sexism and gender stereotyping was also discussed by the delegation. READ MORE Committee vice-chairperson Marianne Mikko said that Ireland had 'not produced meaningful representation' of minority women in politics. Ms Mikko highlighted Government failure 'to adopt legislative quotas which accelerate the participation of minority women in political and public life', as called on by the last committee in 2017. ' One Traveller woman in the senate is good but not sufficient,' she said. Speaking as a representative of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality , Lisa Hughes outlined some initiatives the State has taken to increase the inclusion of Traveller and Roma women in public life. Ms Hughes said: 'A specific action to promote the participation of Traveller and Roma women in political and community participation is included in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, published last year.' She added that a policy paper was discussed at the steering committee of the strategy when it met on May 21st last year 'to look at the Roma capacity to engage with policymaking'. In her opening statement, committee rapporteur Jelena Pia-Comella said the committee 'remains concerned at the lack of rights based investigations and reparations to the survivors of abuse' in mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries, schools, residential institutions and survivors of the practice of symphysiotomy . Responding to concerns raised surrounding the scope of the mother and baby redress scheme, Carol Baxter, assistant secretary justice from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality said that payments given to date 'range in nature from €11,000-100,000, so they very much reflect the fact that people who were in Magdalene institutions often had very difficult experiences there'. Ms Baxter confirmed that the scheme is available to people living abroad 'and has always been', when asked. 'The State has been very conscious of the need for a proactive approach to make sure that the broadest number of women qualify,' said Ms Baxter, adding that it had commissioned senior counsel Mary O'Toole to look at cases where there was a dispute over the length of stay in the institutions. The committee were told that Ms O'Toole reviewed 231 cases and 'already has recommended additional payments', and in a majority of cases payments have been made. Her report has been finalised and will be published very shortly, Ms Baxter said.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel slams UN rights council for giving floor to Iran ahead of nuclear talks
By Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA (Reuters) -Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has raised "vehement objection" to Iran addressing the Human Rights Council ahead of talks with European counterparts in Geneva to try to de-escalate the conflict, according to a letter seen by Reuters. "Affording the Iranian foreign minister the floor before this body continues to undermine the council's credibility and constitutes a blatant betrayal of the many victims of this regime worldwide," Daniel Meron said in a letter addressed to council president Jurg Lauber. The council said on Friday said that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was due to be given the floor. Shortly afterwards, he is due to hold talks with the EU foreign policy chief and his counterparts in Britain, France and Germany in order to de-escalate the conflict. In the letter, Meron accuses Iran of using the council as a international stage to "promote the regime's despotic campaign." On Wednesday, the Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva addressed the council and accused Israeli attacks as representing an act of "war against humanity". Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel slams UN rights council for giving floor to Iran ahead of nuclear talks
GENEVA, June 20 (Reuters) - Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has raised "vehement objection" to Iran addressing the Human Rights Council ahead of talks with European counterparts in Geneva to try to de-escalate the conflict, according to a letter seen by Reuters. "Affording the Iranian foreign minister the floor before this body continues to undermine the council's credibility and constitutes a blatant betrayal of the many victims of this regime worldwide," Daniel Meron said in a letter addressed to council president Jurg Lauber. The council said on Friday said that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was due to be given the floor. Shortly afterwards, he is due to hold talks with the EU foreign policy chief and his counterparts in Britain, France and Germany in order to de-escalate the conflict. In the letter, Meron accuses Iran of using the council as a international stage to "promote the regime's despotic campaign." On Wednesday, the Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva addressed the council and accused Israeli attacks as representing an act of "war against humanity". Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israel–Iran air war enters second week as Europe pushes diplomacy
Israel and Iran's air war entered a second week on Friday, and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential US involvement would be made within two weeks. Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear program is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those killed include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side. Israel has targeted nuclear sites and missile capabilities, but also has sought to shatter the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Western and regional officials. 'Are we targeting the downfall of the regime? That may be a result, but it's up to the Iranian people to rise for their freedom,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. Iran has said it is targeting military and defense-related sites in Israel, but it has also hit a hospital and other civilian sites. Israel accused Iran on Thursday of deliberately targeting civilians through the use of cluster munitions, which disperse small bombs over a wide area. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With neither country backing down, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, along with the European Union foreign policy chief, were due to meet in Geneva with Iran's foreign minister to try to de-escalate the conflict on Friday. 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one,' said British Foreign Minister David Lammy ahead of their joint meeting with Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both condemned Israel and agreed that de-escalation is needed, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The role of the United States, meanwhile, remained uncertain. On Thursday in Washington, Lammy met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy to the region, Steve Witkoff, and said they discussed a possible deal. Witkoff has spoken with Araghchi several times since last week, sources say. Trump, meanwhile, has alternated between threatening Tehran and urging it to resume nuclear talks that were suspended over the conflict. Trump has mused about striking Iran, possibly with a 'bunker buster' bomb that could destroy nuclear sites built deep underground. The White House said on Thursday Trump would decide in the next two weeks whether to get involved in the war. That may not be a firm deadline. Trump has commonly used 'two weeks' as a time frame for making decisions and has allowed other economic and diplomatic deadlines to slide. With the Islamic Republic facing one of its greatest external threats since the 1979 revolution, any direct challenge to its 46-year-long rule would likely require some form of popular uprising. But activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. 'How are people supposed to pour into the streets? In such horrifying circumstances, people are solely focused on saving themselves, their families, their compatriots, and even their pets,' said Atena Daemi, a prominent activist who spent six years in prison before leaving Iran.
LBCI
a day ago
- Politics
- LBCI
'Appalling' to see civilians treated as 'collateral damage' by Iran, Israel: UN
The United Nations said Thursday it was appalled to see civilians being treated as collateral damage in the conflict between Iran and Israel and urged maximum restraint on all sides. "It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities. Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians," U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement. AFP
