Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 June 2021
147. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland has taken initiatives at the UN Security Council to confront the alarming moves against political freedoms being witnessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33517/21]
View answerRespect for human rights law, International Humanitarian Law, and the rule of law is central to building sustainable peace. Ireland is actively promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in our engagement across the Security Council agenda.
This includes country situations addressed by the Council, many of which involve serious human rights issues. I will mention just some of these today.
In Council discussions on Myanmar last week, Ireland called on the international community to respond urgently to the crisis since the coup. We have consistently condemned the ongoing violence, including reports of abuse and harassment of women asserting their right to political participation.
At the Council discussion on Haiti last week, Ireland reaffirmed the importance of credible, inclusive and transparent elections as a vital step towards restored and reinvigorated democratic institutions. In March, the Council agreed a presidential statement which called on the Haitian Government to respect freedom of expression and association and to hold free and fair legislative elections.
At a Council meeting in May following the most recent coup in Mali, Ireland called for all parties to strictly comply with Mali’s Transition Charter, for a return to constitutional order and for the holding of inclusive and democratic elections.
The human rights situation in Belarus continues to be a matter of serious concern. At the Council meeting in May, following the coercive forced landing of a civil aircraft by the Belarusian authorities, we again condemned the increasing levels of repression and reaffirmed our unwavering support for a sustainable, democratic and peaceful resolution of the situation in Belarus.
We engage openly with all Security Council members on the basis of our values. I regularly raise human rights issues in my discussions with Council members and other key partners. This is part of Ireland’s commitment to being an active and constructive Council member and complements our strong engagement at the Human Rights Council and in other multilateral human rights fora.
