by Miceál O’Hurley
STRASBOURG — Ireland’s Michael O’Flaherty, a former Catholic priest turned solicitor whose career has spanned decades in the field of human rights has assumed office as the Council of Europe’s 5th Commissioner of Human Rights. He is a graduate of the Pontifical Gregorian University with a degrees in philosophy and theology as well as a law graduate of University College Dublin. O’Flaherty elected not to practise law and began his career in academia serving as Professor of Applied Human Rights and Co-Director of the Human Rights Law Centre at the University of Nottingham, England. In 2012, he was appointed as Established Professor of Human Rights at the National University of Ireland, Galway and Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. His career saw him serve in the United Nations in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) before moving on to the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency.
O’Flaherty was elected Commission for Human Rights on 24 January during the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Euroe meeting. He succeeds Dunja Mijatović who held the position between 2018-2024. The term of office for the Commissioner has a 6-year mandate. O’Flaherty took office on 1 April.
First Official Visit Will Be to Ukraine
O’Flaherty wasted no time in setting the tone for his office by announcing his first official visit as Commissioner of Human Rights will be to Ukraine. Speaking to the media, O’Flaherty said, “I can think of nothing more urgent than addressing the human rights consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has caused terrible human suffering and destruction”. He added he would seek to use his office to, “inject a human rights perspective into the greatest challenges facing our societies”.
O’Flaherty’s Agenda
The role of the Commissioner is to promote the inclusion of human rights on the agenda of European Union member states and promote a universal human rights record on the world stage. O’Flaherty signaled several areas in which he believed a greater and more urgent focus on human rights would be beneficial to his mandate, including addressing the climate crisis, the governance of artificial intelligence, freedom of expression, migration and the rise of hate speech, including antisemitism and anti-Muslim attacks.
A native of Salthill, Co. Galway, Ireland, O’Flaherty grew-up acutely aware of the discrimination experienced by marginalised people, particularly Travelers. He expressed his concern for other marginalised peoples who face discrimination in economic, housing, cultural and other areas of daily life, O’Flaherty has pledged to address their needs, “In particular, Roma and Travellers face an intolerable situation that requires greater attention,” said the Commissioner. O’Flaherty also highlighted his intention to focus on youth, socio-economic rights and human rights defenders, as well as to use his mandate to contribute to the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
O’Flaherty said, “I step into this new role with a sense of great responsibility, as well as deep appreciation and respect for the work of my predecessor, Dunja Mijatović. Human rights affect every aspect of our lives. At a time when they face multiple challenges, we must recommit ourselves to weaving them into the fabric of our societies. This will require a concerted effort and I intend to play my part to the best of my ability by accompanying and standing up for rights holders across the Member States”.
