[Sinn Fein]

12th October 2001


Human Rights - Britain in the Dock

Sinn Fein's newly appointed Human Rights Spokesperson, Newry & Armagh Assembly member Pat McNamee has said that the British government faces tough questions when it defends its' commitment to international human rights standards before the United Nations Committee on Human Rights next week.

Mr McNamee said:

``Next week the British government's record on protecting the human rights of people in the Six Counties comes under international scrutiny. The United Nations Human Rights Committee will meet to examine the failure of the British government to fully comply with UN human rights standards.

``We are the only political party in the Six Counties to have made a submission to the UN Committee on Human Rights, and this is the second time we will lobby the Commission. This is an indication of the importance with which we view the creation of a human rights culture here.

``Through human rights violations perpetrated in legislation and policy, the British government is in contravention of the UN Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Good Friday Agreement.

``The UN will be seeking to establish to what extent the British government has complied which its' recommendation in 1995. It will also raise other issues of concern including, policing, courts, repressive legislation, plastic bullets and collusion:

``We will also be urging the UN Committee to question the British government on its' failure to protect children from threats, intimidation and sectarian abuse in North Belfast and its' failure to uphold the rights' of Sinn Fein Ministers.''

``The British government is in the dock over its' failure to live up to international human rights' standards and it faces tough questions when it defends its' commitment to international human rights standards before the United Nations Committee on Human Rights next week.''

Notes

The British government will appear before the UN Committee on Human Rights on the 17th and 18th of October 2001 at the Palais Wilson in Geneva to answer questions following submissions received in July this year to respond to a number of issues relating to its' failure to conform to UN human rights standards.

Sinn Fein Human Rights Spokesperson Pat McNamee will be in Geneva from October 15th. We are the only political party to have submitted evidence to the UN.

In brief, Sinn Fein has called for UN support in the following areas:

Under Article 6, the Right to Life and Article 7, we call for:


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