Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 December 2019
118. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which he continues to influence the international community to make provision for the elimination of trafficking and violence against women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53863/19]
View answerIreland has put in place strong legislative, administrative and operational measures, including a multi-agency approach, to combat and prevent human trafficking.
Ireland is party to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings which aims to prevent trafficking, protect the human rights of victimsand prosecute traffickers. We are party to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Ireland has also transposed the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims. On International Women’s Day this year, Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention).
Ireland’s new policy for International Development, A Better World, prioritises preventing and responding to gender based violence. Ireland's Third National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security reiterates Ireland's commitment to intensifying investment in prevention and response to gender based violence, especially in fragile and conflict affected states.
Through our engagement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), Ireland works to promote gender equality, to combat all forms of discrimination against women and prevent gender-based violence. In addition to supporting gender-specific resolutions at the HRC, we promote the mainstreaming of gender issues across the broader UN agenda. Through our participation in the HRC’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Ireland regularly raises concerns regarding gender equality and gender based violence. At the most recent UPR session in November 2019, Ireland made recommendations to four countries on gender based violence: El Salvador; Fiji; Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Madagascar.
Finally, my Department is also an active member of the Irish Consortium of Gender Based Violence (ICGBV), an alliance of Irish and international human rights, humanitarian and development organisations and the Irish Defence Forces. We support the Consortium to promote increased understanding of gender based violence and ensure high quality programming and policy responses in both development and humanitarian settings.
