Gay Mitchell
Question:45 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, he has for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Europe. [11990/99]
Written Answers. - Council of Europe.
Ireland will assume the six month rotating chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe between November 1999 and May 2000. A successful presidency is viewed by the Government as a foreign policy priority.
The rapid enlargement of the Council of Europe since the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe has meant an increasingly substantive role for the organisation in its core functions of strengthening democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, in particular, in its new eastern European member states.
To prepare for the presidency and to deepen Ireland's involvement and contribution to the council, a resident mission has been established in Strasbourg. An effective presidency will require a co-ordinated approach by all the Government Departments and agencies involved by the council. An interdepartmental co-ordinating group has been established under the chairmanship of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Elements for the programme for the presidency are being developed.
The precise issues which will be on the agenda of the council when we assume that chair will be affected by political developments. However, the following issues are likely to be the key tasks facing our chairmanship. It is expected that following a negotiated settlement of the crisis in Kosovo, the Council of Europe will play an important role in post-conflict rehabilitation in Kosovo and the surrounding region. The council, working with the EU and OSCE, can help restore stability to the region. The elements for the council's contribution have been identified. The Kosovo crisis provides a challenge to the functioning of the international system in the post-Cold War era. While the primary responsibility rests with the United Nations, other international bodies, such as the Council of Europe, have important complementary roles to play.
We support the further enlargement of the council, to strengthen democracy and help ensure stability throughout Europe. We have indicated our intention to work actively as chair to advance the accession of applicant states – Bosnia, Herzegovina, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Monaco.
We will maintain the focus on compliance by member states with their Council of Europe obligations and commitments. Enlargement of the council should not mean any dilution in standards. We will pay particular attention to the role of the Committee of Ministers in implementing the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
More needs to be done to define clear objectives for the Council of Europe and to translate these into the council's structures and working methods. This will be a priority for our chairmanship.
The Council of Europe is both an intergovernmental and interparliamentary body. During our chairmanship, we will seek to develop closer relations between the Committee of Ministers and the assembly. The Irish delegation to the assembly has an important role to play in this regard. As part of the programme for our presidency, it is proposed to invite the parliamentary assembly to meet in Ireland in May 2000.
A detailed programme for our presidency is being developed and will be communicated to the Oireachtas at a later stage.