My Department has ongoing contact with the Embassy of Morocco. I met the Moroccan Ambassador in July, 2019, when he accompanied the President of the Moroccan House of Representatives, Mr. Habib EL Malki, on his visit to Dublin. During that meeting, we had a very useful exchange on a range of political, trade and economic issues, including human rights. Senior officials from my Department also regularly meet with the Moroccan Ambassador to discuss a wide range of issues, with human rights a core element of those discussions. I look forward to deepening our bilateral engagement and dialogue with Morocco with the opening of an Irish Embassy in Rabat.
Respect for human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to discuss human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels, including at a bilateral and EU level, and through the United Nations Universal Periodic Review mechanism.
The Deputy has raised the situation in Western Sahara. Our position on this remains one of support to the UN-led process and the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to reach a definitive political settlement on this issue. We support the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, but we do not have a view on the outcome of that decision – be it independence, integration, autonomy, or some other solution – so long as it is decided in a genuine exercise of self-determination.