Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021
354. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to disturbing reports coming from Afghanistan regarding the treatment of members of the LGBT+ community by the Taliban; if this matter has been discussed at European Council meetings; if contact has been made with the Taliban authorities on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54003/21]
View answerI remain gravely concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and about the Taliban’s approach to human rights, including reports regarding the dangers faced by members of the LGBT+ community in Afghanistan.
Since our extraordinary meeting on 17 August, EU Foreign Ministers have met and discussed Afghanistan three times, at the informal Gymnich meeting on 2-3 September, on 21 September in New York in the margins of the UN General Assembly, and at the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 October. Council Conclusions on 15 September strongly condemned the recent use of violence and intimidation by the Taliban and called for accountability for human rights violations. The Council agreed on benchmarks against which the actions of the Taliban will be judged. Preconditions for EU engagement with them include the need for the Taliban to promote, protect and respect all human rights.
Ireland fully supports these conditions, which do not preclude a certain level of working contact required for humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, or to enable the ongoing evacuation of EU citizens. The Conclusions are clear that such contact does not confer any legitimacy on the Taliban. In that context, the EU Special Envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Doha on 12 October and maintained the EU's strong lines on human rights.
On 7 October, at the 48th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), an EU-led Resolution was adopted on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan. The resolution established a mandate for a Special Rapporteur (SR) to be appointed at the March session of the HRC to monitor the situation of human rights as it develops in Afghanistan. The SR is mandated to, inter alia, seek, receive, examine and act on information from all relevant stakeholders pertaining to the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Ireland remains actively engaged with the situation in Afghanistan, both at European Union level and as a member of the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council. We will continue to be a strong voice for human rights in Afghanistan, including rights of the LGBT+ community.
