OBSERVERS INTERNATIONAL

Welcome

The Irish Parades Emergency Committee (IPEC) was formed in 1997 as an independent human rights monitoring organization in response to the increasing violence surrounding Orange and other loyal order parades in nationalist neighborhoods of Northern Ireland. The committee has trained and coordinated international observers to serve as independent witnesses. IPEC is based in New York City. IPEC delegations have included human rights lawyers and others from England, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Guatemala, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland as well as the United States.

The Brehon Law Society is an Irish-American bar association founded in 1978. Its primary focus has been the monitoring and eradication of violations of human rights and civil liberties in Northern Ireland. It is the only such human rights group to enjoy official NGO (non-governmental organization) status at the United Nations. Brehon Law Society members have traveled to Northern Ireland to monitor parades since 1997.

IPEC's 2007 Report

International Observers’ Report, Northern Ireland 2007

Click on the link above for our latest report, from 2007. Archived reports can be found below.

This report is a joint project of the Irish Parades Emergency Committee (IPEC) and the Brehon Law Society.

Irish Parades Emergency Committee (IPEC) and Brehon Law Society observers were present before, during, and after loyal order parades in several communities in Northern Ireland in July 2007. These communities are Belfast’s Short Strand, Ardoyne, Lower Ormeau Road, and Springfield Road neighborhoods, as well as Portadown, Co. Armagh. This report documents our principal observations and offers an analysis of issues that arise from these contentious parades and the context in which they occur.

Reports from previous years

Click on the links to view or download IPEC reports from previous years. Reports from 2005 and before also have separate photo inserts. This 2007 report is a joint project of the Irish Parades Emergency Committee (IPEC) and the Brehon Law Society.