Michael O'Flaherty: Difference between revisions

Professor '''Michael O'Flaherty''' is the current (September 2015) Director of the European Union [[Fundamental Rights Agency]] (FRA). The FRA is the EU’s human rights advisory body, based in Vienna, Austria.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fra.europa.eu|title=European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights {{!}} Helping to make fundamental rights a reality for everyone in the European Union|website=www.fra.europa.eu|language=en|access-date=2017-12-02}}</ref> An Irish human rights lawyer, O’Flaherty was a member from 2004 to 2012 of the [[United Nations Human Rights Committee]] (HRC), the expert body that oversees compliance with the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] (ICCPR).<ref name = UNBIO>[http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/membersCVs/oflaherty.htm Official UN biography]</ref> Again nominated by Ireland in 2008, O'Flaherty was re-elected to the HRC with the highest number of votes (136 states) achieved by any candidate.<ref>[http://humanrightsdoctorate.blogspot.com/2008/09/michael-oflaherty-gets-most-votes-in.html Blog report of UN HRC election 2008]</ref> On 19 September 2011 he took up appointment as the third Chief Commissioner of the [[Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission]] (NIHRC), the statutory [[national human rights institution]] for Northern Ireland.<ref>Belfast Telegraph report 15 July 2011</ref><ref name=NIO>[http://www.nio.gov.uk/paterson-announces-appointments-to-the-northern-ireland-human-rights-commission/media-detail.htm?newsID=17948 NIO news release 18 July 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919082844/http://www.nio.gov.uk/paterson-announces-appointments-to-the-northern-ireland-human-rights-commission/media-detail.htm?newsID=17948 |date=19 September 2011 }}</ref> He resigned as chief commissioner in October 2013.

A native of [[Salthill]] in Galway,<ref>[http://www.galwaynews.ie/20560-salthill-man-new-northern-human-rights-chief Galway News report 18 July 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813224158/http://www.galwaynews.ie/20560-salthill-man-new-northern-human-rights-chief |date=13 August 2012 }}</ref> and the son<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_O'Flaherty_(politician)|title=Patrick O'Flaherty (politician) - Wikipedia|website=en.m.wikipedia.org|language=en|access-date=2017-12-02}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=February 2018}} and grandson of mayors of Galway,<ref>"Role of honour :the mayors of Galway City 1485–2001",William Henry,2002</ref> O'Flaherty attended school at [[Scoil Iognáid, Galway|Scoil Iognaid]] Gaillimh, [[Willow Park School, Dublin|Willow Park]] Preparatory School and [[Blackrock College]], Dublin. He holds degrees in law from [[University College Dublin]], in theology and philosophy from the [[Pontifical Gregorian University]] in Rome, and in international relations from the [[University of Amsterdam]]. Ordained in the 1980s as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church for the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora|Diocese of Galway]], he has not exercised priestly ministry since 1992.<ref>Belfast Telegraph report 18 July 2011</ref> He has since been laicised.<ref>[http://galwayindependent.com/stories/item/5627/2013-4/Professor-Michael-O'Flaherty---Human-Rights-expert]</ref>

Qualified as a solicitor in Ireland, he does not practice in the courts. Since completing his postgraduate studies he has worked mainly in the field of international human rights. From 2004 to 2012 he was Professor of Applied Human Rights and Co-Director of the Human Rights Law Centre at the [[University of Nottingham]], England.<ref>[http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/staff-lookup/M.Oflaherty University of Nottingham biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830093041/http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/staff-lookup/M.Oflaherty |date=30 August 2011 }}</ref> In December 2012 he was appointed as Established Professor of Human Rights at the [[NUI Galway|National University of Ireland, Galway]] and Director of the [[Irish Centre for Human Rights.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nuigalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2012/december2012/nui-galway-appoints-michael-oflaherty-as-professor-of-human-rights.html|title=NUI Galway Appoints Michael O’Flaherty as Professor of Human Rights|website=www.nuigalway.ie|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref>

According to a CV posted on the European Parliament (LIBE committee) website in 2014, O’Flaherty hashad at that date published 9 books and some 55 articles and other writings, all in the field of human rights. He was 'rapporteur' (principal drafter) for the Human Rights Committee's General Comment on Article 19 of [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights|ICCPR]], finally adopted on 21 July 2011 after two years of negotiation. This major re-statement of the international law on [[freedom of expression]] emphasises the importance of media freedoms and it sets out the extent to which human rights standards relate to the new media and information platforms. O'Flaherty also has contributed to the international definition and protection of [[LGBT rights by country or territory|gay rights]]: in 2006 he led the drafting of the [[Yogyakarta Principles]] on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.<ref>[http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/07/Oct/2702.htm The Yogyakarta Principles: Rapporteur Addresses Gay Conference] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106032001/http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/07/Oct/2702.htm |date=6 January 2009 }}</ref>

O'Flaherty is former Chairperson of the [[Irish Penal Reform Trust]]<ref>{{Cite web|title = IPRT Board of Directors {{!}} Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT)|url = http://www.iprt.ie/contents/1163|website = www.iprt.ie|accessdate = 2015-10-02}}</ref> and isthe theformer Vice-Chair of the [[Universal Rights Group]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Board of Trustees - Universal Rights Group|url = http://www.universal-rights.org/who-we-are/board-of-trustees/|website = Universal Rights Group|accessdate = 2015-10-02}}</ref> In September 2015 it was announced that he was appointed as Director of the European Union [[Fundamental Rights Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Michael O'Flaherty to become new FRA Director {{!}} European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights|url = http://fra.europa.eu/en/press-release/2015/michael-oflaherty-become-new-fra-director|website = fra.europa.eu|accessdate = 2015-10-02}}</ref> The FRA “delivers on its responsibility as the acknowledged, unique and independent centre of reference and excellence for the promotion and protection of the rights of everyone in the European Union”.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2019-programming-document-2019-2021_en.pdf|title=|last=|first=|date=|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> In a speech delivered in Warsaw, Poland, on 1 December 2017, he presenteddescribed theits work of FRAactivities, “(FRA) is the body tasked with delivering independent data, analysis and advice to the EU institutions, as well as its Member States, to support them in being compliant with the fundamental rights standards of the Union. From our base in Vienna, we do our work through the undertaking of surveys, analysis of pressing human rights challenges - including by giving voice to rights-holders - delivery of legal opinions and support for the embedding of a culture of human and fundamental rights, also at the local level across EU Member StatesStates”.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fra.europa.eu/en/speech/2017/freedom-expression-and-combat-hate-speech-europe|title=Freedom of Expression and the Combat of Hate Speech in Europe {{!}} European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights|website=fra.europa.eu|language=en|access-date=2017-12-02}}</ref>