Today, representatives from the Traveller and Roma Coalition attended Ireland’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) pre-session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The UPR is a United Nations process which reviews the human rights record of every UN Member State every four years. Today’s short (1 hour) pre-session provided an opportunity for Irish civil society organisations to raise key human rights concerns with Permanent Missions ahead of Ireland’s upcoming review.
Traveller organisations and groups working with Roma have participated in and contributed to each of Ireland’s UPR cycles to date, both in Ireland and in Geneva. However, no Travellers or Roma were allocated speaking time at today’s pre-session. This is very disappointing.
Key concerns for Travellers and Roma were raised by a number of civil society speakers, including racism and discrimination, accommodation and homelessness, access to social protection and legal aid, and barriers to Traveller accommodation. Civil society colleagues, including the Coalition of LGBTQI+ Organisations for UPR Ireland, the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) and Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC), also highlighted the absence of Traveller and Roma speakers and encouraged Permanent Missions to engage directly with members of the Traveller and Roma Coalition attending the pre-session.
Speaking following the session, Gabi Muntean, Pavee Point, said:
“Nothing about us, without us. Today in Geneva, Roma and Travellers are being discussed, but no Roma or Traveller representative has been given the opportunity to speak. Representation in reports is not enough. Roma and Travellers must have a voice in the human rights mechanisms that shape our future.”
The Traveller and Roma Coalition has been engaging directly with Permanent Missions in advance of Ireland’s UPR to highlight key human rights concerns and advocate for strong and concrete recommendations to Ireland.
Maria Joyce, National Traveller Women’s Forum, said:
“The Coalition has been meeting directly with Permanent Missions to ensure Traveller and Roma priorities are heard and reflected in recommendations to Ireland. We appreciate the solidarity shown by civil society colleagues in raising key concerns affecting Travellers and Roma and highlighting the importance of having a Traveller speaker on the panel at the pre-session. We are particularly highlighting the continued lack of implementation of Traveller policy and accountability for State agencies, including Local Authorities, as well as the inadequate delivery of Traveller accommodation, which is contributing to the gross over-representation of Travellers and Traveller families in long-term homelessness. We are also highlighting significant gaps in Traveller-specific policy on employment and mental health. ”
Representatives of the Coalition will continue engaging with Permanent Missions and civil society organisations in Geneva this week, calling for concrete action and accountability to address the persistent inequalities experienced by Travellers and Roma in Ireland.
Top image: Gabi Muntean (Pavee Point), Brogan Gallagher (Pavee Point), Lee Anna Ward (Galway Traveller Movement), Maria Joyce (National Traveller Women’s Forum), Nora Corcoran (Galway Traveller Movement), Tracey McDonagh (Offaly Traveller Movement) and Sandra McDonagh (Offaly Traveller Movement).