Refugees and Asylum 31100

Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since 1997, is one of those people of whom it can be truly said that they serve as a role model for all. Already the master of two successful careers – first as a human rights lawyer, then Irish head of state, she was appointed a leader in the global UN system by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 9 June 1997. In that capacity, she has principal responsibility for all UN human rights activities including supervising the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

Born in Ireland 1944, Mary Robinson decided on a legal career, being called to the London Bar in 1973. She served as a member of the International Commission of Jurists (1987-1990) and of the Advisory Commission of Inter-Rights (1984-1990) before being nominated for the Irish Presidency in 1990. Her election after a bitter contest came as a shock. Not only was she the first woman president of Ireland, but she was, at the time, one of only three female heads of state in the world. Moreover she was soon to become identified with progressive and independent thinking in a country often described as one of the most conservative in Europe.

As Ireland’s Head of State, Mrs. Robinson represented her country internationally, developing a new sense of Ireland’s economic, political and cultural links with other countries and cultures. She placed special emphasis during her Presidency on the needs of developing countries, linking the history of the Great Irish Famine to today’s malnutrition and poverty. She continued to participate in numerous human rights activities including serving as Special Rapporteur to the Council of Europe’s ‘Human rights at the Dawn of the 21st Century’ meeting. She was the first Head of State to visit Rwanda in the aftermath of the genocide there, the first Head of State to visit the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, as well as the first Head of State to visit Somalia following the crisis there in 1992. For her work in Somalia she received the Special CARE Humanitarian Award.

Leaving the Irish Presidency was a difficult decision but as she said at the time “I have a sense of having made my contribution, and that I want to make a contribution, probably in the area of human rights and in a wider context.” This she has gone on to do in her new role as High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Back to home page

Use browser back button to view more articles in this category