Anastasia Crickley will lead UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Maynooth University academic, Anastasia Crickley, has been elected president of the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Crickley, who is the former head of Maynooth University Department of Applied Social Studies, is the first Irish person to lead a UN treaty body, which are international committees of independent experts that monitor states’ implementation of international human rights treaties.

At present, there are nine treaty bodies monitoring the implementation of the eight core international human rights treaties. CERD, the first of these treaty bodies to be established, is dedicated to overseeing the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). Located in Geneva, CERD consists of 18 experts who meet twice a year for three weeks at a time. Prior to her election, Anastasia Crickley served as vice-president of the Committee. She will now serve a two-year term as its president.

Speaking after her election, Ms Crickley said: “It's an honour and privilege to be elected as president at this crucial and challenging time for all who care globally about human rights, including the right to be free from racial discrimination in all its forms. While there has been improvement globally over the 50 years since the Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly, other manifestations of racism—mostly long present—have become visible.”

“We face a major global challenge of developing a rights-based response free of racial discrimination to migrants and refugees in all the world’s regions, not least Europe. As a woman I'm very conscious of the ways that women experience racism and the need to address that combination of racism and gender oppression which affects too many women globally. As an Irish person I'm conscious of the work done, but also the major challenges outstanding to realise full human rights and equality including for Travellers and Roma,” she added.

Anastasia Crickley has challenged and addressed racism throughout her life at local, regional, national and international levels; in direct work with discriminated groups, including Travellers and Roma; in academic arenas; and in global and local policy and human rights forums.

In Ireland, Ms Crickley was chairperson of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, which led the development and embedding of Ireland's National Action Plan on Racism. She was a founder member of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and of the National Traveller Women's Forum, chairperson of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre, and of Community Work Ireland.

Maynooth University President Philip Nolan said: “Throughout her career, Anastasia has dedicated herself to furthering the cause of those at the fringes of society. While heading the Department of Applied Social Studies at Maynooth University, she helped the Department play a national leadership role in access and participation opportunities intended to give voice to marginalised and minority groups. She has had a long international career as a human rights researcher and advocate. This appointment is richly deserved and I have no doubt that she will bring to it the energy, expertise and ideas that have allowed her to help so many people in the past.”