Irish appointments to the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Mr Alan Shatter TD, today announced he was seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified members of the public to apply to be considered for appointment as Ireland’s representatives on two Council of Europe bodies.

The organisations in question are the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).
The primary objective of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance is to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance. Its remit includes all necessary measures to combat violence, discrimination and prejudice faced by all persons or groups of persons on the grounds of race, colour, language, religion, nationality and national or ethnic origin.

The primary objective of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is to prevent the ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in Europe. 

The Minister stated:  "As a founding member of the Council of Europe, Ireland has a particular obligation to continue to provide representatives of the highest calibre, who will ensure that our country continues to make a real and meaningful contribution to the shaping of a better society for all citizens of Europe.  And for the first time in respect of these appointments, suitably qualified members of the public who meet the requirements for membership of these bodies are being asked to express their interest.  This will facilitate the ongoing development of Ireland’s contribution to European affairs."

Further details on eligibility criteria and how to apply are available on the websites of the Department of Justice and Equality at http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/CPTVacancy for the CPT vacancy and http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/ECRIVacancy for the ECRI vacancy.
The details are also available on the Public Appointments Service Website, www.publicjobs.ie and,  in the case of the ECRI appointment,  www.integration.ie.

12 August 2011