Michael O'Flaherty facts for kids

Michael O'Flaherty (2017)

Professor Michael O'Flaherty is a very important person who works to protect human rights around the world. He is currently the Commissioner for Human Rights for the Council of Europe. This means he helps make sure people's basic rights are respected in many European countries.

Before this, he was the Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). He also served on the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) from 2004 to 2012. From 2011 to 2013, he was the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC). This group works to protect human rights in Northern Ireland.

Early Life and Education

Michael O'Flaherty grew up in Salthill, a town in Galway, Ireland. His father and grandfather were both mayors of Galway. He went to school in Galway and Dublin.

He studied law at University College Dublin. He also studied theology and philosophy in Rome and international relations in Amsterdam. In the 1980s, he became a priest, but he stopped working as a priest in 1992.

In 2019, he received a special higher degree in law (LLD) from the National University of Ireland. This was given to him because of all the important work he has published about human rights.

Career in Human Rights

Michael O'Flaherty trained as a lawyer but chose to work in international human rights instead. He has spent most of his career helping to protect people's rights globally.

Working in Universities

From 2004 to 2012, he was a professor at the University of Nottingham in England. He taught about how human rights are used in real life. He also helped lead the Human Rights Law Centre there.

In 2012, he became a professor at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He also became the Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights.

Working with the United Nations

Michael O'Flaherty worked for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He helped manage programs in Asia and the Pacific. He also led important work in countries like Sierra Leone and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He worked as a secretary for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. He also did research on child rights at the Innocenti Research Centre in Florence. He helped create guidelines for human rights and advised many groups.

By 2014, O'Flaherty had written 9 books and about 55 articles on human rights. He was the main writer for a key document about freedom of expression. This document explained how human rights apply to new media like the internet. He also helped write the Yogyakarta Principles in 2006. These principles are important for protecting gay rights around the world.

He used to be the leader of the Irish Penal Reform Trust. This group works to improve prisons in Ireland. He also served as the vice-chair of the Universal Rights Group.

Leading the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (2015–2024)

In 2015, Michael O'Flaherty became the Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). The FRA is a special group that provides facts, analysis, and advice to the EU. Their goal is to help EU countries follow human rights standards.

He explained that the FRA gathers information and listens to people's stories. They also give legal advice and help spread a culture of human rights across EU countries.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights (2024–Present)

In 2024, Michael O'Flaherty was chosen to be the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights. He won a vote by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He started this important role on April 1, 2024.