The Importance Of Human Rights In Ireland

“Human rights are rights essential to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status” (Woods 2014). We are all equally entitled to our human rights deprived of discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties, customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. International human rights law lays down obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups (Harees 2012).

Ireland committed to promote children’s rights when it signed up to the Convention in 1992. Children’s rights include the right to health, education, family life, play and recreation, an adequate standard of living and to be protected from abuse and harm. Children’s rights cover their developmental and age-appropriate needs that change over time as a child grows up.

On 19 September 2012, the Government published the Thirty-first Amendment to the Constitution Bill 2012, which contains the text of a proposed constitutional amendment to strengthen children’s rights. The Children's Referendum was passed with the support of 58% of voters, with just three of the country's 43 constituencies rejecting the proposed amendment (Children's Referendum amendment passed by 58% of voters 2012). Children and young people have the same basic general human rights as adults and also specific rights that recognise their special

For example, every child should have equal access to education regardless of the child’s gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, parentage, sexual orientation or other status (Stalford 2012). The International Convention on the Rights of the Child centres upon the principle of non-discrimination. All children should be treated, protected and cared for in the same manner. However in today’s world, many children and groups of children are victims of discrimination. Outlawing discrimination is a fundamental and absolute principle, declared by all the international standards relating to human rights. Discrimination towards any person is a serious violation of human rights. This means that all children, without exception, should enjoy their rights to effective protection. No child should be the victim of discriminatory acts based on race, skin colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, wealth or disability (United Nations Children’s Fund 2009). Non-discrimination does not mean equal treatment for all children. The right to non-discrimination does not mean that all children should be treated in the same way. In fact, in some cases, preferential treatment or positive discrimination could be viewed as necessary in restoring the balance between the