FPA in Northern Ireland responds to Human Rights Commission report omission of reproductive rights

17 December 2008

fpa in Northern Ireland is responding today to the publication of a report on the 10 December 2008 by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC).

This report stated that the NIHRC was not prepared to include the issue of reproductive rights in its advice to the Secretary of State on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. This course of action, said the NIHRC, was inappropriate because in July 2008, the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, (CEDAW) had already stated that the lack of access to abortion had detrimental consequences for women's health, and had called for a public consultation on the issue.

Dr Audrey Simpson OBE, Director of fpa in Northern Ireland said:

“It is unacceptable that the NIHRC have ignored the reproductive rights of women in Northern Ireland and have chosen to sidestep the issue by passing responsibility on to the CEDAW committee.

“In 1999 CEDAW made similar recommendations to the UK Government about abortion in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, both the UK and Northern Ireland Governments have consistently failed to take any action over the last ten years, despite being legally obliged to. This statement is simply the NIHRC tactfully refusing to address the issue.

“It is also significant”, Dr Simpson continued, “that the Equality Commission in their submission to the CEDAW Committee earlier this year recommended for ‘the same access to reproductive health care services and rights in Northern Ireland as are available in Great Britain’. Despite this the NIHRC has simply chosen to ignore the lack of access to abortion services in Northern Ireland in their submission.

“Furthermore, in 1994, the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights (SACHR) highlighted the inconsistencies governing abortion law in Northern Ireland. It is unacceptable that the NIHRC has continued to ignore the findings of SACHR, and that since the introduction of the Human Rights Act 1998, there has not as yet been any real effort to address the human rights implications of Northern Irish abortion law.”

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For further information please contact fpa's press office on 020 7608 5265/5264, mobile 07958 921 060, or Dr Audrey Simpson 028 90 316 102, mobile 07985 382 702.

fpa (Family Planning Association) is the only registered charity working to improve the sexual health and reproductive rights of all people throughout the UK.

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