Human Rights Council - Opportunity to recover lost ground

The best thing that can happen to any of us, despite all of our what-if lotto fantasies, is to be given an opportunity to do good.

Ireland’s election earlier this week to the United Nations Human Rights Council represents a real opportunity for this country to try to do some good for others in situations far more difficult than our own. In a very secondary way it offers, especially at this difficult time in our history, an opportunity to do good for ourselves on the world stage and at home.

Membership of this body gives Ireland an opportunity over the next three years to rebuild and hopefully change our international image from a beggared country humbled by our own hubris to one where we might be seen a capable, positive force for good and progress. It offers an opportunity for us to show that we can help advance the belief in human dignity and freedom we hold dear.