ABSTRACT
This chapter explores whether the promise of better human rights protection in Northern Ireland has been achieved in the decade since the Agreement and the reasons for such an achievement or lack thereof. It examines the recurring human rights themes in Northern Ireland and whether the Agreement led to their resolution; whether the specific human rights provisions envisaged within the Agreement have been fully implemented; and whether the overall protection and promotion of human rights in Northern Ireland can be viewed as successful in terms of building the positive peace. The chapter also presents a balance sheet of the broad human rights situation in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the Peace Agreement, registering the human rights issues where legal and policy progress has been achieved and identifying those human rights issues where the status quo has prevailed. The policy achievements in the field of equality since the Agreement have been significant.
