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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Dec 2003

Vol. 577 No. 1

Written Answers. - UN Initiatives.

John Perry

Question:

47 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of Ireland's motion at the UN General Assembly condemning anti-Semitism. [30511/03]

The Deputy will be aware that Ireland has proposed and been the principal sponsor of a resolution on the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance, at both the UN General Assembly and the UN Commission on Human Rights, for nearly 20 years. The resolution aims to address all instances of religious intolerance or discrimination based on religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who are the victims. Accordingly, Ireland has consistently adopted the view that it should not mention specific types of religious intolerance or discrimination directed against specific religions. For this reason, Ireland opposed requests to include specific mention of anti-semitism in the draft this year. Following considerable negotiation, the resolution was adopted again this year at the third committee without such a reference.

Ireland continues to be seriously concerned about the growing problem of anti-semitism. This evil phenomenon combines elements of racism and religious intolerance. This phenomenon deserves to be condemned by the United Nations. Accordingly, as a separate initiative to its resolution on religious intolerance, Ireland decided to seek support for a resolution condemning anti-semitism at the current session of the UN General Assembly. I am glad that we were encouraged in our efforts by our partners in the European Union and the accession states, all of whom co-sponsored the text as drafted. We engaged intensively with a range of interested parties with a view to achieving an agreed outcome and consensus support in the General Assembly for the resolution. In the light of these negotiations, we were obliged to conclude that it was unlikely that the various priorities of interested states could be accommodated simultaneously. Accordingly, with reluctance, we decided not to proceed with this initiative at this stage.

While this outcome is disappointing, I consider that the course that we took, with the aim of achieving a strong and unequivocal condemnation of anti-semitism, was the right one. This issue deserves further consideration at the General Assembly. We will remain in close contact with like minded countries with a view to returning to it at an appropriate moment. I wish to underline that Ireland, the EU, member and accession states and others, have made clear their total rejection of this phenomenon by co-sponsoring this resolution on anti-semitism.

Question No. 48 answered with Question No. 14.
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