Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

Defending Human Rights

Human rights organizations have been credited for effective lobbying for strong human rights language in the Multi-Party Agreement. One such organization, the cross-community, Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice, was awarded the prestigious European Human Rights Prize in June 1998 by the Council of Europe, signaling the importance the council attaches to the human rights dimension of the peace process.

Human Rights Watch researchers in Northern Ireland to monitor security force operations in July 1998 generally were granted access to areas where security force operations were under way. In two instances observers were denied access for unexplained reasons, although in one of those instances journalists were permitted access.