NORTHERN IRELAND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

That this House believes that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, as the National Human Rights Institution for Northern Ireland, plays a vital role in ensuring that Government and public bodies protect the fundamental human rights of everyone in Northern Ireland; acknowledges the role that the Commission has played in promoting understanding and education about human rights so that people know their rights and the protections they are entitled to if these are violated, denied or compromised; pays tribute to the role of the Commission in maintaining peace, promoting progress and building community cohesion in Northern Ireland in the spirit envisioned by the Good Friday Agreement and under UN obligations in post-conflict societies; notes with concern that the Government is cutting the Commission's budget by over 10 per cent for 2015-16 and that this follows a 25 per cent budget cut in the last four years; further notes that these cuts will impair the Commission's capacity to operate successfully and could jeopardise its United Nations A status and with it Northern Ireland's voice at the UN; and calls on the Government to withdraw this cut and provide full and proper funding to the Commission so that it can fulfil its duty to protect and promote the rights of all of the people in Northern Ireland.