Edmund Rice International

A UN report issued prior to the recent High Level Political Forum (HLPF) meeting in New York has expressed concern at the lack of progress towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the decline in the level of international co-operation needed to implement the 2015 agreement. ERI has added its name in support of […]

The annual report on the state of the world’s climate issued by the World Meteorological Organisation warns that record greenhouse gas levels are driving temperatures to increasingly dangerous levels. Despite exceptionally high land and ocean temperatures over the past four years, an acceleration in the rate of sea level rise, a continued reduction in the […]

“A right is not a special privilege of the fortunate but it is ingrained in the soul of every institution and in the dignity and worth of every person”. This is an insight I gained through the two weeks long training program conducted in Geneva by the Edmund Rice International. It was a great opportunity […]

It is it is still possible to keep global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius  above pre-industrial values and limit the devastating impacts of climate change, However, this will require a vast, unprecedented global effort according to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). National pledges submitted to date […]

Rapid globalisation over recent decades has brought increased economic prosperity, but has led to greater marginalisation of many. Driven by profit maximisation in increasingly competitive markets, and without adequate regulatory mechanisms, concerns about human rights violations and environmental impacts are often ignored. Child labour, displacement of indigenous communities from their traditional lands by mining operations, […]

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by the United Nations in 2015 to succeed the Millenium Development Goals. The SDGs are further broken down into a total of 169 targets and 304 indicators which measure compliance. The goals cover social and economic development issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, […]

The Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration was finalised by UN Member States in New York in July with all UN member states except the USA approving the draft. The agreement is a “non-legally binding, cooperative framework” to encourage “international cooperation among all relevant actors on migration, acknowledging that no state can address […]

A number of organizations including Caritas Internationalis and the Global Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children organised a recent side event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on  migrants and refugees entitled ‘Share the Journey: Promoting the Dignity of Migrants and Refugees’. The event featured a panel led discussion, including the testimonies of […]

The withdrawal of the United States from the Human Rights Council is deeply regrettable as it undermines progress towards the advancement of global human rights. Sadly the decision is consistent with the Trump administration’s previously demonstrated unwillingness to work with the international community and to prioritise its perceived national self-interest over international agreements. The decision […]

One of the functions of the committee of experts that constitute a UN Treaty Body is to publish their interpretation of the content of the human rights provisions contained in the treaty they monitor. These interpretations are known as general comments and also may include guidance on the information that should be submitted in State […]