GENEVA - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Wednesday that the new Joint Framework between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland is an important and positive step towards addressing key human rights impacts of the Troubles.
The three-decade conflict known as "The Troubles" ended in April 1998 with the adoption of the Good Friday Agreement. The UK, Ireland, and political parties in Northern Ireland subsequently established an initial framework for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles through the conclusion of the Stormont House Agreement in December 2014.
With several aspects of the Stormont House Agreement remaining unimplemented, the UK Parliament passed the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act in September 2023, which raised serious concerns about its compatibility with the UK's international human rights obligations. The UK and Ireland subsequently agreed to the current Joint Framework.
"The new Framework provides a new and genuine opportunity to collectively work towards realizing justice and reconciliation for all victims of the Troubles," said Türk.
In particular, the implementation of the Joint Framework would abolish the conditional immunity scheme provided for under the Troubles Act 2023, which would have applied to perpetrators of serious human rights violations. It would also lift the existing prohibitions imposed by the Troubles Act 2023 against all civil proceedings and mandate a Legacy Commission to conduct investigations capable of leading to criminal prosecutions, guaranteeing the rights of victims, survivors, and their families to effective judicial remedy and reparations.
Other positive aspects of the Joint Framework include measures to strengthen the independence, impartiality, and transparency of the Legacy Commission, such as establishing a new Oversight Board, as well as the establishment of a statutory Victims and Survivors Advisory Group to promote meaningful participation for victims and their families.
"This Joint Framework offers a real opportunity to respect and honour the rights of victims and survivors, rebuild trust, advance reconciliation, and promote accountability," said the UN Human Rights Chief. "To do so, it remains imperative that both Governments place the rights of all victims and survivors to truth, justice, effective remedy, and reparations at the heart of its implementation," he added.
The High Commissioner emphasized the need for meaningful and inclusive participation by victims in all decision-making processes, including the development of primary legislation and appointment processes.
"Almost three decades after peace was achieved, it is now time for swift and decisive action to deliver to victims and survivors truth and justice, and for all communities to achieve lasting reconciliation," Türk concluded.
