Unionists have international law on their side against the Northern Ireland Protocol

A letter from Dr Clifford Smyth:
By Letters
Published 30th Jul 2021, 17:54 BST
Updated 30th Jul 2021, 18:11 BST
Leinster House, Dublin, which houses the Dail. Ireland and other strong advocates of the protocol are supporting a breach of international obligationsLeinster House, Dublin, which houses the Dail. Ireland and other strong advocates of the protocol are supporting a breach of international obligations
Leinster House, Dublin, which houses the Dail. Ireland and other strong advocates of the protocol are supporting a breach of international obligations

As a bloc the EU has not signed up to the UN Charter on Human Rights or the International Covenant, but individual EU nations have, and that includes the Republic of Ireland.

In aiding the imposition of the protocol on the United Kingdom and more especially Northern Ireland our less than friendly neighbour, has breached both the Charter and Article 1 of the International Covenant.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 1970 UN Declaration on the principles of International Law states: ”Any attempt aimed at the partial or total disruption of the national unity and territorial integrity of a state or country or at its political independence is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the (UN) Charter.”

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and political Rights prohibits interference with a country’s internal trade.

From the foregoing it is evident that the unionists protesting against the protocol have international law on their side, as well as the International Covenant, while the Republic of Ireland and those political parties in Northern Ireland which support the protocol are in breach of international human rights conventions.

Dr Clifford Smyth, Belfast BT6

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Acting Editor

Related topics:Republic of IrelandUnionistsNorthern IrelandProtocolUnited Kingdom