UN General Assembly
2015

I turn to the 1990s. Historically, Ireland has supported the promotion and protection of human rights, from our early support for decolonization to our opposition to apartheid in South Africa and through to our election to the Human Rights Council for the term 2013 to 2015. In 1997, our former President, Mary Robinson, was appointed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. At the Human Rights Council, Ireland has sought to give concrete expression to the long-held convictions that have informed our positions within the United Nations. We have championed resolutions to promote and protect civil society space, which we recognize as essential to make other rights attainable. We advocate for the critical role of human rights defenders. We have led initiatives to prevent the morbidity and mortality of children under 5.