Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Human Rights Issues.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

275 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the April 2003 Amnesty International report on Canada, Time is Wasting: Respect for the Land Rights of the Lubicon Cree Long Overdue, in which it is reported that the Canadian Prime Minister has failed to live up to his 1993 promise that a swift resolution to this dispute was a priority; if his attention has further been drawn to the conclusions of the UNHRC report published in 1990 that 60 years of failure by the Canadian Government to resolve this matter has endangered the way of life and culture of the Lubicon Cree and violated their fundamental human rights; and if he will not only raise this issue with the Canadian Prime Minister at the earliest opportunity, but join the international call for the Prime Minister to resolve the matter before he leaves office. [12403/03]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

I thank the Deputy for drawing my attention to the Amnesty International report in question. Ireland calls on all states to respect their obligations under international human rights instruments to which they are party.

Ireland is committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of indigenous peoples. We voice our concerns in partnership with other like minded countries in international fora. At the 59th session of the Commission on Human Rights, which concluded in Geneva last month, Ireland co-sponsored a resolution on the working group on indigenous populations of the sub-commission on the promotion and protection of human rights and the international decade of the world's indigenous people.