Human Rights Consortium members believe that a strong and inclusive Bill of Rights can play a fundamental role in the creation of a better, more just, inclusive and shared Northern Ireland.

The Human Rights Act 1998 became part of our law in 2000. It was one of the fundamental human rights elements of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

The Human Rights Consortium campaigns for a human rights based society, with laws developed in accordance with recognised international legal standards. These international standards, drawn from various United Nations and European conventions and charters, have been signed up to by the UK government.

Each year the 10th December is celebrated as Human Rights Day across the world. The date marks the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948.

At their core, human rights are about the recognition of the inherent dignity of every individual. As a result human rights overlap with many areas of our society, politics and governance and can therefore also be adversely misrepresented within some of the negative debates and divisions in Northern Ireland.