The Republic should set up a human rights commission and proceed to a joint North-South committee, as set out in the Good Friday agreement, according to Prof Christine Bell from the University of Ulster.
She pointed out that this was one North-South body that did not need the executive in order to function. "If it set up the human rights commission here, the Irish Government would signal the human rights agenda was being pushed on. It is important something of the agreement continues."
"It is mandated under the agreement to look at the possibility of an all-Ireland charter of rights. It could consider issues like bringing in the same criteria for the appointment of judges and joint training of judges in human rights law."
Prof Bell, who is also a member of the NI Human Rights Commission, was addressing the Council of Europe conference on human rights in Dublin Castle on Saturday,
During the debate on political changes in Northern Ireland she said that human rights played a significant role in allowing people to step back from their political positions and talk about what they wanted in their lives.
Meanwhile, Mr Chris Patten, who chaired the body which made recommendations on police reform in the North, addressed the conference by video.
Mr Patten, who is now the EC Commissioner for External Affairs, pointed out that apart from the wider Council of Europe human rights institutions the EU itself now has a legal human rights framework.
The conference discussed the different bodies responsible for human rights in Europe. These include the EU, the Council of Europe and its Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
He said the EU had only begun to concern itself with human rights when it became a political and economic body under the Single European Act.
But it now had a legal human rights framework in that "liberty, democracy and the rule of law" were its stated objectives; and there were human rights clauses in all new agreements with third countries.
As the world's largest trading area, it also had economic clout. However, he stressed that this economic clout should be used carefully. Many of the worst human rights abusers chose to isolate themselves.
But the EU budget for the promotion of human rights could and should be used to give effective assistance to countries seeking to improve human rights.
Mr Patten also warned that the EU faces problems. The fact that the 15 member-states had to agree meant that this could be difficult when the political or commercial stakes were high.
He called for the EU to make a strong and common stand on Chechnya.
Prof Brice Dickson, head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, said any new EU charter must be rooted in public consultation.