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IRISH HUMAN RIGHTS lawyer Michael O’Flaherty has been elected as the next Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights.
He was elected this evening after he successfully won over 50% of the vote at the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, France, where he competed against Bulgaria’s Megleva Kuneva and Austria’s Manfred Nowak.
The appointment has been welcomed by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and Minister of State for European Affairs Peter Burke.
O’Flaherty, a leading international human rights solicitor, previously served as Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights between 2015 to 2023.
Academically, O’Flaherty holds a Professorship of Human Rights Law from University of Nottingham and the National University of Ireland Galway. He also served as the Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland.
This evening the Tánaiste said: “Professor O’Flaherty has served with great distinction in several high level positions in the field of human rights and his election as Commissioner is a mark of the high regard in which he is held.
Martin added that he believes O’Flaherty’s “extensive human rights expertise” and qualities of leadership, courage, integrity and resilience, are “qualities that will benefit him as he takes up his new role”.
Among his years of work with the United Nations, he most notably was appointed as Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission between 2011 and 2013 and as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee between 2004 to 2012.
“The office of Commissioner is central to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Never have these ideals and principles been more important,” Martin said.
Junior minister for Europe Peter Burke said: “His attachment to the values of the Council of Europe are undeniable and Ireland is proud to have supported his candidacy for the position.”
Earlier, before the vote took place, O’Flaherty was fixed for pole position after unsuccessful voting proved him as the lead contester for the position ahead of his Bulgarian and Austrian counterparts.
Despite the strong lead, O’Flaherty took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: “Regardless of today’s outcome I have the deepest respect for Meglena and Manfred, my competitors for the post. We are united in our commitment to uphold human rights in Europe.”
O’Flaherty has previously been a strong voice to criticise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stand up for migrants fleeing global conflicts and international women’s rights.
His TedTalk in Varese, Italy last year, about how the world should place “human rights at the heart of our actions”, spoke about how to renew the “centrality of human rights” amid war in Ukraine and in a post-pandemic landscape.
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This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.
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Nice one. Loved him in Riverdance.
@John Condon: . I was addicted to doing the hokey pokey, but thankfully I turned myself around.
@John Condon: “Lord of the dance” for me
Can anyone confirm if Judge Martin Nolan is a permanent inhabitant of this planet??
@Scruff The Magic Wagon: He’s only here for a short time because of his suspended visa to the planet of Mars…
@Scruff The Magic Wagon: pensioner’s life’s don’t matter. A 22yrold against a 75yrold.
@Scruff The Magic Wagon: can’t be surely…. its like he has an aversion / blind spot when it comes to punishment/ sentencing
I hope he goes after the mass murdering zionist state Israel for killing nearly 20,000 children ripping them apart with bullets…blowing them apart with bombs…leaving ICU baby’s to die and rot to be fed upon by wild animals…
@William Slevin: While Hamas of course are left to the calling of their Islamic faith in slaughtering, torturing, raping and hostage taking??
@William Slevin: The ‘palestinians’ have abundantly shown their support for their terrorist government. Cheering the atrocities, taunting and spitting on the Israeli hostages, and encouraging their children to do the same. Not one ‘palestinian’ has voiced any horror at the actions of their government, not one has condemned them, or voiced any concern for the hostages. They still expect Israel to carry on providing them with food, water, electricity, medicines etc though.
@William Slevin: they reap what they sow, Hamas have made their bed, let them p!ss in it
@William Slevin: In fairness, you could be confused for a racist anti-semetic bigot.
@William Slevin: What amazes me about the pro-Palestinian lobby is that it never acknowledges the death and related atrocities committed by Muslims against other Muslims. Examples include the recent devastating war in Yemen coordinated by Saudi Arabia and Iran. Thousands of Yemenis have starved to death, since the Saudis blockaded the ports so that no food could be delivered to the main city.
What about the atrocities committed by the Assad regime against fellow Muslims in Syria? Putin has aided and abetted that regime, yet had the audacity to criticise Israel for committing war crimes.
Pakistan has recently evicted and expelled tens of thousands Afghanis from that country. The Afghani Taliban has committed atrocities against its own people – fellow Muslims.
@William Slevin: If the Palestinians laid down their arms there would be peace tomorrow. If Israel laid down their arms there would be an Oct 7 every day until there were no more Jews left. Israel are a democratic nation surrounded by malignant terrorist states, they are fighting for their existence as is their right.
@William Slevin: Maybe if hamas spent the billions received in aid for infrastructure, farming, industry, schools and hospitals instead of tunnels, guns, rockets and lining leaders pockets there could be peace. It is possible. Ask the 2 million muslims living in israel
@D W Chaney: not providing but not preventing access to supplies
Beaker.
Brilliant!..congrats!
A fine achievement
I wish him well
We can afford ourselves a little flutter of pride at how many Irish people land themselves top European & global positions
have your say