Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has welcomed the election of Kevin Hyland (pictured) to the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA). 

He will succeed Professor Siobhan Mullally as the Irish expert on GRETA from January 2019. 

Minister Flanagan said the election is a significant achievement and a tribute to Kevin Hyland’s broad international experience in human trafficking. 

Development agency 

In May this year, Hyland was appointed to lead Childfund Ireland, an international development agency based in Dublin.

He was also involved in the establishment of the Santa Marta Group, a body comprising international law enforcement agencies, civil society, non-governmental organisations and the Catholic Church, of which Ireland is a leading member. 

Mr Hyland is also chairing an all-island research project at Mary Immaculate College Limerick, which is supported by the Department of Justice and Equality, and An Garda Síochána. 

Anti-Slavery Commissioner

He was appointed as Britain’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner in November 2014 and received an OBE for his service in combatting human trafficking in 2015.

Prior to this, Hyland had a 30-year career as a police officer, and was formerly head of the London Metropolitan Police Service’s Human Trafficking Unit. 

Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in July 2010 before it came into action in November 2010.

GRETA is the monitoring mechanism set up under the Council of Europe to oversee and review the implementation of the convention.

It comprises 15 independent experts elected for a term of either two or four years.