Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 May 2004
130 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress in dealing with human rights issues in Africa with particular reference to the extent to which he has used his influence during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14788/04]
View answerIreland is prioritising conflict prevention during the Presidency as there can be no development without peace. Many African countries continue to experience or are gradually emerging from conflict, including Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi, the DRC, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia-Eritrea. Our commitment to peacekeeping in Africa is also demonstrated through our contribution of an Irish force to the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL.
A number of cross-cutting issues which the Irish Presidency has sought to progress have particular resonance in Africa. The Presidency attaches priority to "children and armed conflict" and "human rights defenders". The issues of children and armed conflict and slavery are closely linked and the role of human rights defenders in highlighting instances of slavery and bonded labour is vital in focusing national and international attention. We are currently overseeing satisfactory progress in the implementation of EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict and EU partners have been circulated by the Presidency with a paper on draft EU guidelines for the support of human rights defenders. The Presidency secured a degree of success at the recent sixtieth session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in respect of human rights in Africa. Achievements include the establishment of a special UN mechanism on the Sudan, and the agreement with the African Union of a resolution on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the DRC. In addition, the Presidency and our partners secured the adoption of the Italian technical resolution regarding assistance on human rights in Somalia and supported similar resolutions by the African Union on Chad, Sierra Leone and Burundi.
The EU thematic resolution on the death penalty was adopted with a record margin and a record number of co-sponsors. The resolution on the rights of the child which we co-tabled with the Latin American-Caribbean grouping and the resolution on religious intolerance were also adopted. All these resolutions are universal in their application.
In addition, at the initiative of the Irish Presidency, the EU, for the first time, delivered a strong statement in which the EU reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to work for the elimination of all contemporary forms of slavery, which scourge still exists in some parts of Africa. On the other hand, the EU's resolution on Zimbabwe was, regrettably, not adopted.
