Foreign Conflicts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Questions (27)

Marian Harkin

Question:

27. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps taken by Ireland and the international community to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen; the nature of discussions with international partners regarding facilitating a permanent ceasefire in Yemen; the value to the EU of arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, UAE, to perpetuate the conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18543/20]

Oral answers (6 contributions)

Deputy Marian Harkin

I want to ask the Minister about the steps taken by Ireland and the international community to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. I want to ask him about the nature of his discussions with international partners with regard to facilitating a permanent ceasefire in Yemen. I specifically emphasise his role at EU level, particularly with regard to the EU common position of 2008. I also want to ask about the value to the EU of arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which, of course, serve to perpetuate this shocking conflict.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Deputy Colm Brophy)

Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The spread of Covid-19 threatens a catastrophic situation in a country where the health system has been shattered by years of conflict.

Ireland is deeply concerned by this level of humanitarian suffering, and has provided over €27 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen since 2015, including €5 million in 2020. Ireland also contributes substantial funding at global level, including support to the UN's central emergency response fund, a global fund to address the most severe crises. Ireland is one of the top ten contributors to the central emergency response fund, which in 2019 allocated $32 million to Yemen. Ireland also contributes to the EU response, and since 2015 the EU has allocated €484 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Decisions on arms exports are a national competence rather than an EU competence. All EU arms exports are subject to the common position on arms export control, which set out eight criteria that must be met before issuing export licences, including respect for international humanitarian law in the receiving country.

The roots of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen lie in conflict. Ireland and the EU fully support the efforts of the UN special envoy for Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths, to bring about a political resolution to the conflict. The UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire in March, later affirmed by Security Council Resolution 2532, gives a renewed impetus to this work.

I welcome efforts made towards a joint declaration between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis, which would commit the parties to a nationwide ceasefire, bring forward a number of economic and humanitarian measures and resume a political process. However, despite the special envoy’s efforts, agreement has still not been reached. I call on all parties to the conflict to engage seriously with these efforts to end the conflict, and ease the suffering of the people of Yemen. I also call on all parties to ensure full, secure and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and health workers and supplies to all parts of Yemen, to allow lifesaving assistance to reach those in greatest need.

Deputy Marian Harkin

I thank the Minister of State. I want to concentrate more on what we are doing to prevent the continuation of this crisis. I hear about the aid we give, and it is important, but the Minister of State mentioned the fact that arms export licences are a member state competence, which they are. However, we have the EU common position of 2008, which requires all member states to deny export licences if there is a clear risk that the items exported might be used to commit serious violations of EU law and international humanitarian law. We can see the evidence in front of our eyes. There are acts of wilful killing, inhumane treatment, detention centres and serious violations of human rights including torture. There is a systematic campaign of harassment against religious minorities such as the Baha'i. What are we doing at European level to ensure this common position actually delivers?

Deputy Colm Brophy

Ireland does not have a weapons industry and, therefore, it does not supply military weapons to any party in the conflict in Yemen. Arms exports are a national competence in the EU, as I said, but all member states are subject to a common position on arms exports. Each arms export licence must be assessed on the eight criteria I mentioned, including that the recipient country must respect international humanitarian law. It is for each state to make this assessment as a national competence.

Ireland strongly supports the principle of international humanitarian law and calls on the parties in the conflict in Yemen to ensure and respect international humanitarian law. More generally, Ireland supports international efforts to tackle and monitor illicit arms flows through our support for the effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty, the 2018 EU strategy on small arms and light weapons and the EU sponsored iTrace project.

All member states have signed up to the arms trade treaty, which exists to ensure that arms sales do not fuel conflicts and to prevent arms from falling into the hands of non-state actors.

Deputy Marian Harkin

The Minister of State said that we do not have an arms industry, and I understand that. However, we are part of the EU and we signed up to the EU Common Position. In fact, together with Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, we had a resolution before the UN to cease the arms supply to this conflict. We are on the same side here, but that is not the question I am putting to the Minister of State. Specifically, what is Ireland doing to try to persuade some of our European colleagues such as Italy and France - we can leave the UK out of it for now - that continue to supply arms to Saudi Arabia and UAE? Other European countries have either declared a moratorium or have ceased supplying arms. How proactive are we in all this? How proactive are we in trying to ensure that this Common Position does what it says on the tin?

Deputy Colm Brophy

I reiterate that arms exports is an issue for the independent state. Our main effort is towards bringing about a peace agreement in Yemen. That is what we have been working on consistently. Along with the EU and the UN, Ireland believes that is the only way to bring about a long-term, sustainable improvement in the situation of Yemen. We fully support, therefore, the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to broker an agreement. It is important that we put our effort into that solution. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has been in contact as recently as today with the Saudi Arabian Minister. We will make all efforts in that regard to bring about a viable peaceful solution. However, the issue of arms is an independent competence, not an EU-level competence. It is an individual competence for the member state.