Honorary Graduates

Orations and responses

Response by Mary Robinson

Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Officers of the University, staff, students, parents. I’d like to begin by saying how very honoured I feel to have been conferred with the degree of Doctor of the University of Essex and to have been so very warmly received here today. Although this is my first visit to the University of Essex, I don’t feel a stranger: I have for a very long time known of the University through those who carry out research and teaching here,  and also through students who come and apply to become interns in Geneva in the office of the High Commissioner. These links have conveyed to me a sense of the University.

I also have a longer memory of the beginnings of the Centre for Human Rights. I remember in 1978 there was a Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe supporting the establishment of centres for human rights in universities and, for whatever reason,  I was the disseminator of this good news in an Irish context. I sent the good news down to the, then, president of  University College Galway, Colin Hooker, and he in turn charged Kevin Boyle with doing something about this. Now it has come about, and there is a chair of human rights in Galway. But meanwhile,  I have learned, Kevin talked to the visiting Dean of the Law School in  Essex who was coming over to Galway and supporting the establishment of the School of Law there; and the Dean took on board the idea that it would be a good thing to establish a centre for human rights; so, while a slow process got under way at Galway, there was a very rapid fulfilment of this ambition here at Essex and the Centre for Human Rights was established. I was well aware of it as a practitioner of law in Ireland and, indeed, in my time as President of Ireland, because it was innovative to have a focus and research on international human rights.

I’m very glad that there now is a new chair of human rights in Galway and that there can be a link and, it is hoped,  a link also with Scotland and the build up of a network, because I believe that the research being done is vital to those of us who have responsibilities of a different kind. Responsibilities to carry out the mandate of the office of the High Commissioner, the field work which our people carry out and the challenge of embedding a culture of human rights in different countries, of making the international laws and standards that are on the international statute books real and practical, of making a difference at country level. That is an enormous challenge,  so it was a great pleasure this morning to go first to the Centre for Children’s Rights and to take stock of the many ways in which that Centre is acting both nationally here in the United Kingdom and also internationally; and then to go to the Centre for Human Rights and also to meet the members of the law faculty and learn of the different Masters’ courses that this University offers.

I’m proud to be associated with a university that has such a range of strengths in its law department, which has the research capacity which Essex has, and that is producing the quality of work, relevant and practical, which I heard outlined by some students and members of the faculty this morning.

And finally, I’d like to extend very warm congratulations to those who have graduated with me here this afternoon, and I’ve noted that there is a very good proportion of women ! We have now a bond together, we are linked to the University of Essex by graduating on the same day in the same ceremony. I don’t know whether you use the term the “Class of 99” but when you get to my age it can be very important to be able to say that you are the “Class of 99.” So if you don’t mind, I’m going to say it. Thank you very much indeed.