Eamon Gilmore is the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights and the EU Special Envoy for the Colombian Peace Process.

He was Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2011 until July 2014. During this time, Eamon led Ireland’s successful Presidency of the European Union, was President of the EU’s General Affairs Council, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and managed the Northern Ireland Peace Process on behalf of the Irish Government with responsibility for implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, including its core human rights provisions.

As a member of the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann) from 1989-2016, he was an active advocate for social rights and a champion of the liberal agenda. He played a leading role in the legalization of contraception and abortion in Ireland, and was widely recognized for his part in the successful campaign for same sex marriage equality.

Eamon was a trade union leader and a student union leader prior to his election to parliament. He was the Leader of the Irish Labour Party from 2007 until 2014.

In his current role as EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon acts to enhance the European Union’s effectiveness, presence and visibility in protecting and promoting human rights throughout the world. He regularly meets with governments to discuss the human rights situation in their countries, chairs formal Human Rights Dialogues, speaks for the EU at international human rights fora including at the United Nations and the UN Human Rights Council, and meets regularly with international and local human rights and civil society bodies.