Rights
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) is an independent organisation that helps to protect and promote human rights in Northern Ireland.
The Commission works to ensure that your human rights are protected by:
- giving advice to government on human rights;
- checking laws to make sure they uphold human rights;
- suggesting new laws to protect human rights, such as the Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland;
- investigating situations where human rights may be abused, such as in prisons or hospitals;
- promoting awareness of human rights;
- taking cases of human rights abuse to court;
- working with other organisations to promote human rights in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Equality Commission
The Equality Commission is responsible for ensuring that Northern Ireland is a fair place to work and live. Its duties were outlined in the Northern Ireland Act 1998:
- working towards ending discrimination;
- promoting equal opportunities;
- promoting affirmative action;
- promoting good relations between people of different racial groups;
- making sure that the government acts fairly to everyone;
- reviewing new laws to make sure they do not discriminate against anyone.
The role of civil society
Civil society is the name given to all the groups in society who represent citizens鈥 interests. It is distinct from government and business. Non-government organisations (NGOs) are prominent parts of civil society.
NGOs are often charities and pressure groups.
There are a number of ways that NGOs can promote social equality in Northern Ireland. They can:
- campaign to raise awareness about social equality issues such as poverty, homelessness, health care provision and education;
- provide advice, training, facilities, and resources in local communities to deal with issues such as poverty, homelessness and health care;
- hold peaceful protests, demonstrations, and marches to highlight problems of inequality;
- lobby politicians and government to take action.