Prof Siobhán Mullally is Established Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR) at University of Galway. She also holds the role of UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Recognising inequality from a young age, she sought solutions through her research and work across the globe in contexts of conflict and injustice. As the Irish Centre for Human Rights celebrates its 25th birthday, Siobhán takes Cois Coiribe to the heart of the Centre, explaining the real-world impact that human rights researchers have against struggles for justice, in conflict settings, and in dark times. She takes us through her vision for the Centre, its legacy, and its future.
Introducing the Irish Centre for Human Rights
The Irish Centre for Human Rights is one of the world’s leading academic institutions dedicated to the study and promotion of human rights.
The Centre offers a wide range of programmes, which began with our inaugural taught Master’s programme in International Human Rights Law. Since then, we have grown and introduced new programmes in areas such as Peace Operations, International Criminal law, International Migration and Refugee Law and Policy and, most recently, the groundbreaking Master’s programmes in Transitional Justice, Conflict and Human Rights, and in Gender and Human Rights: Law and Policy.
Our BA in Human Rights offers a unique experience. Led by Dr Anita Ferrara, it is an interdisciplinary programme which allows for the study of human rights law alongside politics, philosophy, and languages. Our newest Master’s programmes reflect growing expertise in the Centre alongside emerging global challenges.
The LLM in Transitional Justice Conflict and Human Rights, led by Dr Ferrara, builds on her specialism in post-conflict societies, particularly in Latin America and in Africa. The LLM in Gender and Human Rights: Law and Policy is the first of its kind in Ireland or the UK, and is led by Professor Roja Fazaeli, a global expert on Gender, Religion, Islam and Human Rights. Core teaching by Dr Ekaterina Yahyaoui Krivenko on Gender and Human Rights provides rigorous reflections on how gender shapes law and policy. These programmes, reflecting a core area of teaching and research interest among staff and students, strengthen the University’s broader commitment to gender equality and human rights.
Students who enrol in an ICHR programme are highly motivated, often arriving with a strong sense of purpose and a desire to change the world. I think they are drawn to the way our programmes equip them to explore human rights law in broader political, ethical, and cultural contexts, and in societies in transition. We have secured student placements with anti-torture organisations and UN agencies and the UN Human Rights Council Special Procedures in Geneva, anti-death penalty organisations in London, refugee and migrant rights groups in Malta and Italy; in the USA and Canada, as well as in Palestine, Liberia, Uganda, Colombia, and Chile, India and Pakistan. These provide students with invaluable practical experience in human rights lawyering.
Most recently, we launched the BCL Law and Human Rights programme, led by Dr Maeve O’Rourke, – a full law degree that incorporates a specialism in international and European human rights law. It also emphasises lawyering, presentation and research skills, and practical legal training, providing a strong foundation for careers in human rights advocacy, litigation, and policy. The programme reflects our commitment to prepare students not just academically, but practically and ethically, for impactful work in human rights law and policy.
Starting Out and Growing
The ICHR was first established as a Centre for the Study of Human Rights by Professor Kevin Boyle, a leading civil rights lawyer from Northern Ireland, who contributed internationally to the promotion of minority rights and freedom of expression in particular. In 2000, the Centre was formally established in its dedicated historic building with the appointment of Professor William Schabas, a world-renowned expert in International Criminal Law. This year, we will host our 25th Annual Summer School on the International Criminal Court. This is a flagship event, led by Professor Shane Darcy, that reflects our leadership in this field and brings Judges of the ICC, and other international courts and tribunals, leading international lawyers, and human rights advocates to Galway each year.
Our community of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers continues to grow. We have developed a vibrant community of PhD researchers, many of whom work in senior academic and policy institutions globally.
Where the Centre shines is in its deep commitment to policy engagement and practice. We draw on our research and teaching to engage with the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, Inter-American and African human rights bodies, and the European Union. We also work closely with grassroots community organisations to promote human rights and social justice.
The International Human Rights Law Clinic, led by Dr Maeve O’Rourke, gives students hands-on experience in real-world legal and advocacy work. Focusing on institutional abuse and human rights archives, in partnership with the National Archives, her work shapes new understandings and policies around historical justice in Ireland. Professor Shane Darcy and Professor Ray Murphy have spearheaded work involving the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, and engagement with Palestinian Universities, and led initiatives engaging directly with the International Criminal Court, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, and other courts and tribunals. Professor Darcy has secured funding from Research Ireland to develop partnerships with Palestinian universities, focusing on capacity-building and supporting academic institutions in the region. This builds on a long-standing body of research focused on international law in Palestine, including an ICHR co-authored UN report, marking a major contribution to international legal discourse.
In the area of asylum, refugee, and migration law, Dr Ciara Smyth and I have developed a vibrant research cluster on contemporary issues addressing the rights of migrants and refugees, and an annual symposium is hosted at the University of Galway, jointly with the Immigration, Asylum, and Citizenship Bar Association of the Bar of Ireland. This provides a forum for examining how International and European law and policy are implemented in Ireland.
Our mentioned pioneering Human Rights Law Clinic, led by Dr Maeve O’Rourke, engages with community organisations locally and globally, working on diverse issues such as the human rights of survivors of Mother and Baby homes, climate justice, fracking, and asylum-seeking children’s rights.
A Diverse and Vibrant Student Body
One attractive aspect of the Centre is our specialist seminar-based training in an interactive, discussion-led format. We recognise that many students bring substantial professional experience to the classroom. In fact, we currently have enrolled students who have worked in conflict and post-conflict settings, such as in northeast Syria, Colombia, and South Sudan. We also have graduate students who are leading peace operations and humanitarian programmes, who are UN officials, senior members of the judiciary, practising lawyers, senior policy makers, and human rights defenders. We have welcomed judges from Zambia and Rwanda, defence lawyers and prosecutors from Namibia, South Sudan, and Nigeria, and prominent civil society and human rights activists involved in refugee law and climate justice in Uganda, Brazil, India, and the USA.
They bring as much to the classroom as the lecturers themselves, creating a vibrant and intellectually dynamic atmosphere.
Recently, a former Master’s in International Human Rights Law student returned to study migration and refugee law, after working for years in post-conflict settings. This speaks to the changing landscape of human rights and the global challenges of today. Students also want to develop or expand into emerging areas, such as Business and Human Rights, Islam and Gender, or Climate Justice. A unique aspect of our programmes is the regular involvement of leading international practitioners and scholars. Here at the Centre, we pride ourselves on our diverse international and experienced student community.
Unique Access to International Institutions
Each year, ICHR students have the opportunity to travel to The Hague – the ‘City of International Law’ – to visit International Criminal Courts and the International Court of Justice. Thanks mainly to our strong alumni network and adjunct professors, students gain unparalleled access to legal professionals in these courts, including access to court chambers and behind-the-scenes discussions that offer rare, unique insights and valuable perspectives.
Our students also get to travel to Geneva to attend sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. As part of my role as UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, students have accompanied me to interactive dialogues with Member States in Geneva and New York, gaining first-hand experience of high-level diplomacy and policy debate. They have also accompanied the UN Special Rapporteur in Palestine, observing formal sessions and high-level meetings within the Human Rights Council chamber. Our programme of visiting speakers has brought high-level UN officials to Galway, in person and virtually, to speak directly to our students and address their questions. Our outstanding adjunct professors are leading practitioners in their field and generously give their time to our students and staff.
This level of access is difficult to replicate elsewhere, and you can’t put a price on it in terms of its value to our students’ training and experience. It reflects not only the strength of our international networks, but also Ireland’s broader global reputation as a nation deeply committed to human rights, advocacy, and multilateral diplomacy and politics. I think Galway itself plays a meaningful role in this reputation, home to former President Mary Robinson, and current President Michael D. Higgins. The Centre is proud to be part of that tradition.
A Developing Passion for Human Rights
My interest in social justice and human rights stems from my own experiences of growing up in Ireland during a time when gender equality, women’s rights, reproductive rights, and LGBT rights were not respected; a time when socio-economic background limited opportunities for progression to higher education and in the legal profession. As a young woman, I experienced first-hand the impact of discrimination and oppression.
An early experience in my international work was at Peshawar on the Afghan border in Pakistan, host to almost a million Afghan refugees. The region was marked by turmoil and conflict in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan, particularly around issues of gender equality, minority rights, and human rights activism. I was really inspired by the activists and human rights leaders I worked with, particularly the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the many courageous human rights lawyers involved, as well as Afghan refugees themselves.
An Understanding of Exile
Coming from a family of migrant workers, I had an appreciation of what it meant to be in exile. This background shaped my response when I returned to Ireland, at a time when the country was beginning to receive refugees and migrants for the first time. I became involved in setting up NASC in Cork – the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre – which continues to provide vital legal support services to migrants and refugees. As Chairperson of the Irish Refugee Council at a time when Ireland was changing, I saw the consequences of failing to support those seeking asylum and international protection, often separated from families and loved ones.
Working in Conflict Settings
During my career, I worked in several conflict settings, including Timor-Leste and post-war Kosovo. In both places, I witnessed the complexities of rebuilding societies after violence and the importance of law and policy.
Even as a student, I was active in solidarity movements and worked closely with organisations in Northern Ireland, including as a parades observer with the Committee on Administration of Justice, where I saw the deep impact of sectarian hatred and conflict. Throughout my studies and academic career, I remained engaged with human rights organisations in Northern Ireland, including as a Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and member of the Joint treaty body on human rights. In many ways, this has consistently informed and shaped my experiences, research, and work.
My research primarily focuses on issues related to gender, forced migration, and refugee protection. More recently, I’ve investigated issues around the interactions of conflict and human trafficking, in the context of migration and forced displacement. With the Council of Europe, as President of the monitoring body, the Group of Experts on action against trafficking, I undertook official visits to ‘hotspots’ in Sicily, to the transit zones on the Hungarian and Serbian border – witnessing the detention of Afghan, Iraqi, and Syrian children – to refugee camps in Turkey, and to the camps in Calais, where the images of abandoned 11- and 12-year-old refugee children remain.
Impact Case Study Stories From Troubled Areas
UN Special Rapporteur in Colombia, Bangladesh, and South Sudan
As a UN Special Rapporteur, one of the most tangible aspects of the work – something that resonates with many people – is conducting official country visits. For example, during a mission to Colombia, I focused on the Darien Gap region, a dangerous route for refugees and migrants travelling toward Panama and ultimately the United States. We were focusing on the heightened risks of human trafficking faced by refugees and migrants. My background in gender and child rights research was important in identifying key gaps in protection services and highlighting the urgent need to expand safe migration routes to strengthen refugee protection mechanisms for vulnerable populations moving through this region.
I also undertook an official visit to Bangladesh, which included a visit to Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee camp in the world. This area is home to nearly two million Rohingya refugees. Once again, my research background on sexual and gender-based violence, as well as on the specific vulnerabilities of child migrants and refugees, was important in reporting on the protection risks on the ground. I helped shape the findings and recommendations of the report, which was presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, as was the Colombia report.
My official visit to South Sudan was the first by a UN Special Procedures mandate holder in 13 years. The focus there was on the rights of refugees and children, with particular attention to high rates of sexual and gender-based violence. As with previous missions, my background in these areas was important, both in securing the visit and reporting the findings to the UN.
The visit to South Sudan was probably the most difficult I undertook. The levels of sexual violence and extreme poverty endured were difficult to witness. My visit to the Central African Republic engaged the issue of the role of armed groups, including mercenaries, and the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation and use in hostilities. In Liberia and Guinea Bissau, the limited attention given to prevention of child trafficking and to sexual exploitation, particularly of women and girls in post-conflict and transitional societies, was a serious concern. Reports on these official visits and thematic reports have been presented to the UN General Assembly in New York and to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, with recommendations to Member States to take more effective action to prevent such serious abuses.
As part of these case studies, I worked with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary–General on Children and Armed Conflict. We conducted the first study of its kind on child trafficking and grave violations against children in armed conflict settings. One of my priorities was to reform reporting processes to look at patterns of child trafficking in conflict situations as a step toward more robust, informed decision-making.
In 2024, I was elected chairperson of the Platform on Refugee Rights, which we launched to strengthen action by UN and regional human rights bodies to protect refugee rights, at a time when the right to seek asylum from persecution globally is under threat.
Focus on Trafficking and Migrant Workers
My case study work brought me to Amnesty International, where I partnered on projects in northeast Syria, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. We looked at patterns of child abduction, specifically risks faced by girls, including sexual exploitation and sexual slavery. We also looked at the often-underreported issue of trafficking of boys, who are frequently not identified as victims.
This work marked the first time Amnesty International formally reported on child trafficking and incorporated it into their responses to the crisis in northeast Syria. We had significant outcomes from this approach, including capacity-building workshops on reporting on child trafficking.
I’ll be presenting a report on migrant workers, particularly domestic workers, to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025. I recently completed consultations across the Asia-Pacific region and am engaging on the East Africa Gulf migration route, including through the Regional Consultative Process. Like many Irish people, I am the daughter of (now returned) migrant workers, and the granddaughter of a migrant domestic worker, so the protection of migrant workers is something that is close to my heart.
The ICHR’S Legacy and Future
When I reflect on legacy, it feels especially important right now. We are currently witnessing how fragile the commitment to international justice and human rights protections really is. We can’t assume continual progress. We are seeing human rights programmes shut down, lawyers targeted, and human rights defenders silenced. Now, more than ever, the role of education is vital.
We have been talking with students and colleagues about preserving a space for education, where people can learn and openly discuss issues of injustice and human rights violations. It is also important that we examine the development of the international legal system, including how it has evolved and where it falls short.
For me, education is central to legacy: that we teach, that we learn together. It’s crucial that we continue to build and strengthen the foundation of human rights protections for future generations.
Our students, alumni, and the wider research community at the Centre are committed to human rights, and as a community we are well-equipped and prepared to lead in this field. It is important to us that our students graduate with the strongest possible foundation and with the right skills, provided by rigorous academic training and practical preparation. In our modern environment, we place high importance on educating students about digital safety, personal security and privacy, and strategies to protect themselves from vicarious trauma. We also prepare them to navigate threats and complexities they may encounter in human rights work.
Our goal is to ensure that the Irish Centre for Human Rights is recognised globally as a leading space for education, research, and dialogue – a place where students can exchange ideas and develop the knowledge and skills they need to further their career in their chosen field.
