Written Answers Nos. 60 - 65
61. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the countries worldwide now deemed to be the top ten world's poorest countries; the extent to which the international community continues to engage in a co-ordinated effort to address the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50462/12]
View answerSince the Millennium Development Goals were agreed by global community in 2000, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen significantly – including in sub Saharan Africa where rates were highest. Since this time many more children have access to safe water; more girls and boys are attending school, and far fewer people are dying of preventable illness such as malaria and HIV. Much of this progress is attributed to the positive impact of international development assistance.
These achievements, however, are unequally distributed across the world. Countries, such as Haiti, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have the highest proportion of the population living below the poverty line in the world, and the least stable economic, health and education systems. In these situations the presence of extreme poverty usually coincides with significant obstacles, including limited resources, disease, famine and war.
There is a recognition that, in the future, international development assistance has to be increasingly targeted at those countries where rates of poverty are highest and where least progress has been made since the launch of the Millennium Declaration in 2010.
At a major international conference on development in Busan, Republic of Korea in 2011, the international community signed up to a ‘New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States’. It calls for a country-led vision and plan which donors should use to coordinate their support. This will reduce duplication of effort and ensure that resources get to those who need them most.
The OECD has recognized that Irish Aid, the official aid programme of the Irish Government, is sharply focused on the needs of the poorest countries of the world and allocates a far greater proportion of its assistance to least developed countries in Sub Saharan Africa, than other bilateral donors. The recent national consultations for the Review of the White Paper on Irish Aid indicated that Irish people wanted this sharp focus on the needs of poor countries and communities, to continue in the future.
Ireland is fully supportive of this new international focus on countries where limited progress has been made in addressing poverty and disadvantage. The Government is committed, in the context of our preparations for the Presidency of the European Council in 2013, to highlight the development needs of fragile states and to ensure the particular needs of the world’s poorest countries are prioritized at the United Nations Review of the Millennium Development Goals, in September 2013.
62. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which the EU and the UN continues to monitor the situation in the western Balkans with particular reference to the need to ensure continued stability and progress through democracy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50463/12]
View answerOn 10 October the European Commission published its annual Enlargement Strategy including Progress Reports on each of the countries of the Western Balkans. The substance of the reports will be discussed by the General Affairs Council and European Council in December. The decisions reached by the Council will shape the agenda on the EU’s enlargement policy during Ireland’s Presidency in the first half of 2013.
On the positive side, the Commission’s assessment noted that further progress had been achieved in the Western Balkans in the last year in particular with regard to regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations. Nevertheless it recognised that issues stemming from past conflicts, together with other open bilateral issues remain key challenges to stability in the Western Balkans and need to be urgently addressed.
The EU has been active in seeking innovative approaches to dealing with difficult situations or blockages in the accession process. In the course of 2012 the Commission has launched a High Level Accession Dialogue with Macedonia; worked closely with the government and opposition in Albania to overcome political obstacles to further electoral and parliamentary reforms; launched a High Level Dialogue on the Accession Process with Bosnia and Herzegovina; and launched a Structured Dialogue on the Rule of Law with Kosovo. High Representative Ashton and the European External Action Service continue to facilitate a Dialogue between the governments of Belgrade and Pristina in an effort to improve relations between their two countries.
Despite positive progress in most of the region, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has stalled in recent months. The International High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, presented his six-monthly report to the UN Security Council on the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords on 8 November. In it he noted that the political dynamic in Bosnia and Herzegovina during this reporting period had stagnated. The Commission similarly noted that there had been limited progress towards meeting the political criteria for EU accession. Campaigning for the local elections held on 7 October diverted political attention away from the pressing reforms needed. It is to be hoped that with the elections complete the government can give renewed attention to these outstanding issues.
63. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he, in conjunction with colleagues at EU and UN level, continues to identify and address areas of conflict, ethnic cleansing and or human rights abuses worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50464/12]
View answerAddressing human rights concerns, including conflict, ethnic cleansing and or human rights abuses, remains central to our foreign policy. With its EU partners, Ireland closely monitors the human rights situations in many countries, including post-conflict countries, throughout the world. We do this on the basis of information obtained from a variety of sources, including both official channels and non-governmental/civil society organisations. Where and when the situation warrants, we make known our concerns about human rights violations to the Governments in question.
Ireland supports the use of the full UN human rights machinery in responding to human rights abuses, including supporting the role of UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Bodies, Special Procedures and Mandate Holders and the convening, where appropriate, of Special Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. At the UN, the EU regularly makes statements on the human rights situations in a number of countries from all regions. Ireland is fully associated with these statements.
Ireland has been a consistent and strong supporter of the International Criminal Court, recognising it as an essential means of combating impunity for the most serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
The Government is committed to the promotion of full observance of universal human rights standards. Active participation in multilateral organisations including the EU, UN and the Council of Europe provides an opportunity for Ireland to voice its concerns regarding human rights abuses. Through these organisations, international pressure can be brought to bear on those responsible for violation of human rights. Ireland will continue to use these mechanisms as a means of highlighting violations of human rights and furthering their protection.
64. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will indicate the extent to which he continues at EU and UN level to focus attention on the ongoing situation in the Middle East with particular reference to addressing the complaints on all sides in their respective areas of concern, whether a particular permanent structure exists whereby ongoing grievances can be dealt with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50465/12]
View answer65. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which attention continues to be focused at international level in the matter of achieving progress on the Palestinian-Israeli issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50466/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together.
With regard to the prospects for on Palestinian-Israeli issues, I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question 7 (50191/12) earlier today.
In relation to the question of a permanent structure, I would refer him to my reply to him in response to Question 70 (45233/12) on 17 October, which included the following: “I do not think there is any lack of a forum for the parties to express their grievances, rather the opposite. I know the idea of a secretariat has been suggested occasionally in the Oireachtas, but I have to say that in my meetings with the parties both in the region and elsewhere, no-one has ever suggested this to me. There are already permanent representatives and staffs operating in the field on behalf of the EU, the US, the UN and the Quartet. The problem is not one of a lack of structures, but a lack of political will to use them.”
