Last month the United Nations Association marked United Nations Day with an address by Professor Brian Matthews about climate change and the oceans. That same evening Deemster William Cain CBE assumed the presidency of the association, taking over from Sir Miles Walker.

In coming weeks two more UN Days of Observance will be marked by presentations and discussions, both taking place in the Noble’s Pavillion, Noble’s Park in Douglas and starting at 7.30pm. The events are free and the public are welcomed.

To mark Solidarity with Palestinian People Day, we have invited Phil Craine to make a presentation on the three months he spent earlier this year as a human rights monitor on the Israeli-occupied West Bank, monitoring human rights violations on both sides.

The event takes place on Saturday 29 November and is organised jointly with the One World Centre. 

10th December has been Human Rights Day since 1950, aimed to bring to the attention‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Advocate Paul Beckett will speak under the title, "A Human Rights Commission for the Isle of Man? Is the Equality Bill only half the story?.” 

Paul Beckett says: “In using the UK's Equality Act 2010 as the precedent for the Equality Bill, the IOM Government has unconsciously adopted the prejudices of the UK's inner circles of power inherent in the way that Act is put together and in what it covers; particularly their abhorrence of social and cultural rights. Poverty relief is clearly not on the agenda.

He continues: “Our Government has also overlooked the UK's Equality Act 2006, which consolidated and expanded the role of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. The Isle of Man Government's putting forward the Equality Bill is only half the story - the walls are going up, but the footings aren't in."

Isle of Man United Nations Association Secretary Andrew Newton says: “our association exists to foster debate about international issues that affect the Island. The proposed Equality Bill is a case in point where international standards and experience need to be considered. Members welcome participation of non-members in our events.”

For further information contact Andrew Newton on 427925 or via email to ecoperatives@hotmail.com.