Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
104. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on recent representations with the Government of Colombia; and if he will make a statement on reported threats of violence against teachers unions, including the Colombian Federation of Educators in Colombia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41612/23]
View answerIreland and Colombia enjoy excellent, long-standing relations across a range of areas and we maintain close contact with the Colombian Government across all levels. The Embassy of Ireland in Bogotá has very regular contact with interlocutors from the Colombian Government on all areas of our bilateral relationship, while officials in my Department also maintain close contact with officials from the Embassy of Colombia in Dublin.
My own most recent direct engagement with the Colombian Government was my meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva at the Munich Security Conference in February. Our meeting covered a broad range of issues; I spoke of the strong, wide-ranging relationship between Ireland and Colombia, and received thanks from Minister Leyva for Ireland’s continued support for the Colombian Peace Process and our work on the United Nations Security Council.
In relation to reported threats of violence against teachers unions, I am concerned at all threats and acts of violence against unions and their members, including those referenced in the Deputy's question, and I condemn the recent violence against teachers and trade unionists in Colombia. Ireland will continue to support the protection of these groups, as well as all vulnerable and minority groups in Colombia, including through advocacy at the multilateral and bilateral levels, and by funding a range of non-governmental organisations working on human rights and related issues in the country.
Ireland also continues to actively support peacebuilding in Colombia as a key priority, with a view to ensuring a peaceful future for all Colombians, and we remain firmly committed to supporting the implementation of the 2016 Colombian Peace Agreement, as well as the “Total Peace” policy of the current administration. Our support to peacebuilding in Colombia is channelled through local engagement and multilateral engagement in a range of fora, as well as through funding directed through the EU, the UN and various non-governmental organisations, and a lesson sharing programme based on our own experience of peacebuilding on this island.
My Department will continue to monitor the issues raised by the Deputy and to raise those concerns at the appropriate level.
