Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 March 2013
27. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has held with his EU counterparts regarding the ongoing conflict in the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15607/13]
View answer35. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail which UN agencies and NGOs will benefit from the recently announced €3.8 million aid and assistance package for the Democratic Republic of Congo. [15522/13]
View answer44. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the deteriorating human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the reason the DRC situation was not on the work agenda of the UN Human Rights Council, of which Ireland is a member; and if he will agree to work towards placing the DRC situation on the work agenda of the UN Human Rights Council. [15529/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 35 and 44 together.
I share the widespread concerns about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The country has been ravaged by a long series of violent conflicts. Millions of innocent civilians have been killed, injured or displaced from their homes. There have been systematic abuses of human rights, extremely high levels of sexual violence and rape, and widespread recruitment and use of child soldiers.
European Union Foreign Ministers regularly discuss developments in the DRC and are working actively to support peace efforts. A regional Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement for the DRC and the Region was reached on 24 February in Addis Ababa, following discussions involving the parties in the DRC and neighbouring countries and international representatives. I have welcomed this agreement, as have High Representative Catherine Ashton and Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, on behalf of the European Union. It is now vital that the parties build on this framework agreement. I welcome the decision of the UN Secretary General to appoint former President Mary Robinson as Special Envoy to the region, and can assure her of the full support of the Government, and of the European Union. Her exceptional skills and experience, as well as her global profile, and reputation make her the ideal choice for this extremely challenging role. She is expected to travel to the region in the coming weeks to meet the leaders who signed the agreement and to work closely with them to ensure that there is full and active implementation of its terms.
Ireland has raised the human rights situation in the DRC at the Human Rights Council through national statements on a number of occasions, most recently at the 19th Session in March 2012. EU Council Conclusions on the Union’s priorities at UN Human Rights Fora, adopted on 18 February 2013, state that the EU supports the Human Rights Council to address the state of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Following a resolution adopted at the 19th Session of the Human Rights Council in March 2012, on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council is scheduled to consider the situation in DRC again at its 24th Session in September 2013. Ireland will continue to monitor the human rights situation in the DRC closely and use our membership of the Council to raise our ongoing concerns in relations to human rights abuses and violations.
Ireland is providing very significant ongoing support in response to the serious humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last year, through Irish Aid, the Government provided over €10 million in assistance to those worst affected in the crisis. Earlier this month, we announced the provision of a further €3.8 million in humanitarian funding. Of this funding, €2 million has been provided to the UN Common Humanitarian Fund for the DRC. This provides quick and flexible funding to UN humanitarian agencies and to NGOs on the ground and aims to assist nearly four million vulnerable people in the DRC. The remaining €1.8 million is being provided to Irish Aid partners, Christian Aid (€450,000), Concern (€450,000), Trócaire (€300,000) and Oxfam (€580,000).
