Ireland / Poverty: UN Independent Expert’s press conference cancelled

13 January 2011

GENEVA – The press conference scheduled for the conclusion of the UN Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty mission to Ireland has been cancelled due to a medical emergency.

Human Rights Council envoy Magdalena Sepúlveda, who was due to meet Irish and international journalist on Friday 14 January 2011 at 12.00 at the UNHCR office in Dublin, had to return to Geneva after falling ill during her visit to the country.

Ms. Sepúlveda’s team, nonetheless, will go ahead with the mission, which has included meetings with senior Government officials from Departments working on poverty alleviation and social policies, members of Parliament and representatives of the Office of the Taoiseach; as well as representatives of civil society organizations and communities affected by poverty.

The UN Independent Expert’s preliminary findings and recommendations to the Government of Ireland and other parties will be shared with the authorities and released to the press in the next few days. A full report on her mission and findings will be presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2011.

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Magdalena Sepúlveda is the Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty since May 2008. She is a Chilean lawyer currently working as Research Director at the International Council on Human Rights Policy in Geneva. She has extensive experience in economic, social and cultural rights and holds a PhD in international human rights law from Utrecht University.

Learn more about the Independent Expert mandate and work: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/PovertyExpertIndex.aspx

OHCHR Country Page – Ireland: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/ENACARegion/Pages/IEIndex.aspx

For further information, please contact: Allegra Franchetti (Tel.: + 41.22 917 9340 / Email: ieextremepoverty@ohchr.org)