To mark International Human Rights Day, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission held an event at Belfast City Hall, with representatives from local human rights, community, public and private sector organisations. Chief commissioner Brice Dickson, Equality Commission’s Joan Harbinson, Children’s Commissioner Nigel Williams, Belfast Islamic Centre’s Jamal Iweida and murdered solicitor Pat Finucane’s widow Geraldine spoke on aspects of human rights relevant to Northern Ireland today.

On the same day, Women into Politics held a conference at Grosvenor House entitled Women’s Rights are Human Rights – women’s participation and leadership in global processes. The conference, which gathered together speakers from Zimbabwe to Afghanistan as well as local representatives, was the culmination of a series of workshops on women’s rights as human rights.

On the eve of Human Rights Day, Amnesty International invited prominent campaigner against torture Helen Bamber to give a lecture on War, Women and Torture, at Queen’s University.