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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 6

Written Answers. - Human Rights Abuses.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

163 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will state his effort to assist, through the UN, victims of torture in various trouble spots; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27825/00]

Torture is a particularly serious violation of human rights and, as such, is strictly condemned by international law. In co-operation with our EU partners and other concerned states, the Government continually monitors human rights abuses in many countries throughout the world. As members of the EU and the Council of Europe, we have been involved in several practical and important initiatives aimed at eradicating the scourge of torture, including our membership of the European committee for the prevention of torture, which has proved itself to be an efficient and practical monitoring system.

Recently, Ireland, with its EU partners, co-sponsored Denmark's resolution entitled "torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" at both the UN Commission on Human Rights and at the third committee of the UN General Assembly. This resolution called upon the international community to establish a global monitoring mechanism similar to that established under the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Ireland is currently in the process of ratifying the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The UN convention against torture not only states that state parties will outlaw torture in their national legislation, but also notes that there are no exceptional circumstances which can be invoked as a justification for torture. The convention, once ratified, will provide Ireland with an effective and legal mechanism through which it can condemn torture, both within the State and internationally.
Government approval is currently being sought to present a motion to the Dáil, which, once passed, will allow Ireland to lodge the instrument of ratification with the United Nations. We hope to have ratified the convention before the end of this year.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

164 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he has assisted in efforts to combat the slave trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27826/00]

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights states that "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude: slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms". Full adherence to the absolute values enshrined in the declaration is of paramount importance. The concept of slavery has broadened from the traditional concept of the slave trade and now includes practices such as the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, the exploitation of child labour, the sexual mutilation of female children, the use of children in armed conflicts, debt bondage and trafficking in persons.

The Government is committed to the active promotion of full observance of universal human rights standards, including opposing and seeking the elimination of all contemporary forms of slavery. We voice our concerns, wherever possible in partnership with other like-minded countries, in international fora such as the UN General Assembly, the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the OSCE.

Efforts to eliminate contemporary forms of slavery involve a wide spectrum of international organisations, NGOs and Governments. The working group on contemporary forms of slavery, an inter-sessional working group of the sub-commission on the promotion and protection of human rights, is the UN body which has responsibility for the study of all aspects of slavery. At its 25th session in June 2000 in Geneva, it devoted priority attention to the question of bonded labour and debt bondage.

Ireland has provided financial assistance to the UN voluntary trust fund on contemporary forms of slavery, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1991 with the purpose of assisting NGOs dealing with contemporary forms of slavery to participate in the deliberations of the working group on contemporary forms of slavery and to provide assistance to individual victims of contemporary forms of slavery.

Resolutions at the UN which address aspects of contemporary forms of slavery have been cosponsored by Ireland. For instance, at the recently concluded session of the third committee, Ireland co-sponsored a resolution on traffic in women and girls, which,inter alia, reaffirmed that trafficking in women and girls, a contemporary form of slavery, is a serious violation of human rights. Trafficking in human beings is, of course, also a serious crime and as such the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has responsibility for aspects of the issue. At a domestic level, Ireland has recently taken concrete steps to address the issue of trafficking with the enactment of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000, which creates for the first time the criminal offence of trafficking.
The protection and promotion of the human rights of all human beings is the first responsibility of every government. Contemporary forms of slavery, a most fundamental abuse of human rights, are being addressed in different fora and the Government is committed to supporting efforts to eliminate all forms of slavery.
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