Amnesty defends stance on same-sex marriage

SOME of the recent commentary on Amnesty International’s position on the Civil Partnership Bill has shown a fundamental lack of understanding of human rights.

Amnesty International derives its mandate from international human rights law.

The right to marry is contained in Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in Article 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Human rights are universal. They belong to everyone regardless of their race, citizenship, nationality, gender or sexuality.

Our global policy, which was adopted in 2007, is to end discrimination in civil marriage laws on the basis of sexual orientation.

Our members in Ireland endorsed this position when they proposed and passed a motion at our 2008 annual conference mandating us to campaign on civil partnership for same-sex couples. The proposed legislation denies equality in civil marriage law in this State to certain people on the basis of their sexual orientation. It is absolutely an act of discrimination.

Human rights violations do not just happen elsewhere, in faraway places.

They can, and sadly do, happen here in Ireland.

It is for this reason that while continuing to campaign for the closure of Guantánamo, the release of prisoners of conscience like Aung San Suu Kyui and in support of human rights activists around the world, we will also continue to campaign and advocate in support of human rights here in Ireland.

Noeleen Hartigan

Programmes Director

Amnesty International Ireland

Ballast House

18-21 Westmoreland Street

Dublin 2