• Staff have significant human rights

and legal expertise to bring to the

coalition.

• Amnesty International (AI) has a

global mandate to work on

Economic, Social & Cultural (ESC)

rights, including domestically.

• Resources allocated to a body of

work on ESC rights, including staff

and limited activity budget.

• AI is able to dedicate staff & limited

resources to build strategic

relationships with a view to

advancing the Initiative’s goal.

• Human rights law & AI policy can be

limited, resulting in limitations on

what AI can say from a public

campaigning perspective.

• Amnesty International does not work

directly with rights holders, in the

domestic sphere, which can very

often be critical to developing an

effective, informed campaign.

• Although resources have been

allocated in the short term, the level

of work that can be committed into

the long term is limited.

• The wealth of expertise of partner

organisations balances with the

limitations on AI Ireland.

• Working together provides for

significant learning through

information sharing & engagement.

• The number and variety of voices in

the coalition strengthens the impact

of activities.

• The Constitutional Convention has

provided a hook for campaigning on

an issue that is difficult to make

tangible.

• There are a variety of organisations in

the Initiative, few with an explicit

commitment to human rights, and all

carrying significant existing programmes

of work.

• The ESC Rights Initiative can be seen

as an ‘add on’ to existing work, as a

result capacity can be limited.

• There are no pooled or common

resources, all resources sit within each

member organisation.

• We are operating in competitive

environments. Issues are competing

against each other for spaces in which

to be heard. With diminishing resources

it is difficult to stay relevant.

Workshop F – Amnesty International