PADDY BURKE did not suffer from self-effacement. In almost 30 years of public service as Fianna Fáil TD for North Dublin Paddy, a burly, voluble man, was never invisible. No funeral, social occasion, party function or public ceremony saw him absent.
His Labour Party constituency colleague, Sean Dunne, was fond of telling the story of how he and the Fine Gael TD, Mark Clinton, went to the funeral in a remote part of the county of a man who belonged to an obscure Protestant sect. To their surprise – and delight – there was no sign of Paddy among the mourners gathered outside the house. As he and Mark congratulated each other on getting the better, for once, of their rival the coffin was carried out of the house. One of the pall bearers was Paddy.
Seán Lemass could well have shared their surprise and chagrin when he made a formal visit as taoiseach to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in 1965. On the evening of his arrival (in a chartered Aer Lingus Viscount: no petty questions about the expense in those days) the mayor of Strasbourg gave a reception in his honour in the town hall. I was covering the visit for The Irish Times and as we trooped up the elegant, winding staircase behind the taoiseach and his officials, who should be standing at the top, just one step below the mayor greeting guests only Patrick J Burke, TD for North Dublin. And he was not even a member of the delegation.
It was during the same visit by the taoiseach that another veteran Fianna Fáil TD was taken to see Strasbourg’s magnificent gothic cathedral. Once the world’s tallest building with its tower of 142 metres it was described by Victor Hugo as a “gigantic and delicate marvel”. The Fianna Fáil man gazed up at it in wonder before proclaiming to his companions: “Christ lads, it’s a whore of a chapel.”
Irish delegations, comprised of cross-party parliamentarians, have been among the most loyal supporters of the Council of Europe which this year celebrated its 60th anniversary. It is the oldest and perhaps the least known of the international organisations dedicated to European integration. Following the devastation and chaos of the second World War, 10 states, including Ireland, met in London in 1949 to establish a common democratic and legal area. Their aim was to create a stable Europe with economic growth, social cohesion and respect for human rights and the rule of law. Apart from Ireland and Sweden, the other founding members had all suffered at first hand the ravages of the armed conflict – France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Britain.
Significantly Turkey and Greece joined on the same day three months later. It is perhaps the Council of Europe’s greatest role that it accommodates on equal footing nations with old – and in some cases current – animosities. Many observers believed it would fade into a harmless state of suspended animation as the new European Union expanded and strengthened. In fact it has continued to grow and now has 47 member countries, representing a population of 800 million. The fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago prefaced an influx of newly democratic states from central and eastern Europe, including the Russian Federation. The six bitterly divided states of the former Yugoslavia can meet together under the Council of Europe’s broad cloak of peace and tolerance.
In recent years the Council of Europe has endeavoured to find shared solutions to major problems such as terrorism, organised crime and corruption, bioethics and cloning, violence against children and women and trafficking in human beings. Given the depth and complexity of the problems across so many national borders progress can be frustratingly slow. Each member state zealously guards its sovereignty but is expected to co-operate on the basis of common values and principles. Co-operation is fostered by means of conventions and treaties – more than 200 to date.
The most significant achievement of the Council of Europe is the European Convention on Human Rights which was adopted in 1950. Like a good apple pie it contains only the most wholesome ingredients. It sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that all citizens should enjoy, starting with the right to life. The long list includes the prohibition of torture, slavery, forced labour and discrimination and the right to liberty, security, fair trial, freedom of thought, conscience, religion, freedom of expression and of assembly and association. There is even a right to marry.
All member states undertake to secure these rights and freedoms to everyone within their jurisdiction; some can be viewed as being a trifle lethargic in fulfilling their obligations. The enforcer, not always effective, is the European Court of Human Rights, sitting in Strasbourg. It deals with alleged violations of the convention which can be brought before it either by states or individuals.
In the light of its lofty declarations, the Council of Europe itself has been lackadaisical in recognising the invaluable contributions made by voluntary organisations to the cause of human rights. It is only in this its anniversary year that it has introduced its own annual Human Rights Prize. Fourteen organisations were nominated and the unanimous winner was British Irish Rights Watch, a small, relatively unknown body which has been dealing with human rights in Northern Ireland for the past 20 years.
The prize was presented earlier this year at a ceremony in Strasbourg to Helen Shaw and Elizabeth Folarin, respectively the chairwoman and administrator of British Irish Rights Watch. Making the presentation the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council, Lluís Maria de Puig, said it was precisely in times of trouble and conflict, such as in Northern Ireland, that there was a need to uphold human rights with renewed vigour.