Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 March 2021
111. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which the UN can be reformed to assert itself as a human rights defender at various conflict locations globally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12454/21]
View answerIreland strongly supports the strengthening of the multilateral human rights framework to protect both human rights, and human rights defenders, across the globe.
Membership of the United Nations is central to Ireland’s engagement on human rights. Ireland is committed to ensuring that the UN is capable of continuous reform to adapt to emerging as well as to traditional global challenges such as preventing conflict and defending human rights. Ireland’s financial contributions across a number of UN organisations are an essential part of our engagement on human rights, and not least our contribution to the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (€1.865 million in 2020).
In my address at the current Human Rights Council session on 24th February, I reiterated that “Ireland is a long standing champion of civic space, in Geneva, in New York and in communities worldwide”, and that, “we remain gravely concerned by the unacceptable pressures being experienced by civil society around the world, including human rights defenders, LGBTI defenders, journalists and media workers”. I highlighted the unacceptable detention of human rights defenders in Myanmar and Belarus, while also underlining our concerns around human rights concerns in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Syria; Yemen and Ethiopia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs works closely with the UN Treaty Bodies and also with the UN Special Rapporteurs including the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Ms Mary Lawlor who presents her report to the Council on the 4th March. Ireland strongly supports the work of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, former Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, and we work closely with the EU to strengthen UN human rights resolutions and procedures to protect human rights defenders across the globe.
In conclusion I wish to assure the Deputy that the protection of Human Rights Defenders remains a key priority for the Government. Furthermore, once current restrictions are relaxed, I invite him to visit the memorial to global human rights defenders which I had the privilege to unveil with Front Line Defenders in the grounds of Iveagh House in December of last year.
