Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 1990

Vol. 399 No. 10

Written Answers. - CSCE Sanctions.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

75 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland, in the context of European Political Co-operation, will propose that economic sanctions be taken by the EC against other European states within the CSCE process, if those states fail to ensure that their religious and ethnic minorities are fully and comprehensively protected by the rule of law and its administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

76 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, following the changes which have occurred in Central and Eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union, his attention has been drawn to the emergence of anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by some sections of the public; if he proposes to raise these matters bilaterally with the countries involved or through the process of European Political Co-operation in order to ensure that the newly emerging democracies are required to provide democratic safeguards for all their citizens similar to that currently enjoyed in Western Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

77 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, at the forthcoming CSCE conference, Ireland will insist that all participants to the conference renew their efforts and commitment to ensure that all forms of racism and, in particular, anti-Semitism be condemned and that member states undertake to ensure that their own domestic legislation provides full and comprehensive legal protection for all ethnic and religious minorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 76 and 77 together.

Recent instances of racism, including anti-Semitism, in different parts of Europe are deeply regrettable. These outbreaks are all the more regrettable in that they come at a time of marked improvements in the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms enjoyed by the people in Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union.

Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, is a basic concept of the CSCE and is set out in Principle VII of the Helsinki Final Act together with the commitment to respect the right of persons belonging to national minorities to equality before the law and to protect their legitimate interests in this sphere.

Specific measures which participating States have committed themselves to take in order to ensure the enjoyment of these rights and freedoms in actual practice are elaborated in further CSCE documents. The record of implementation by States of these commitments has shown a marked improvement in recent years.

Nevertheless, further improvement is required in some cases. The European Community and its member states will continue to press for these improvements, especially at the current Copenhagen Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE. A number of proposals dealing specifically with the issue of racism and the treatment of minorities have been tabled by member states of the Community at Copenhagen. These issues will receive special attention there, and at the CSCE Summit Meeting which is expected to take place later this year.

The Twelve believe that there now exists a willingness in all participating states to carry out their commitments and to enact the necessary legislative reform. Very considerable concrete progress has been made already and more is in prospect. A co-operative approach among the participating states is being pursued. Accordingly, economic sanctions are not under consideration by the European Community. Nevertheless, Community assistance towards Central and Eastern Europe is contingent upon continuing progress in political and economic reform and is thus firmly linked to the implementation of the commitments undertaken in the human dimension.

Last week I attended the opening of the CSCE Conference on the Human Dimension in Copenhagen. In my speech on behalf of the Twelve I spoke about the very welcome improvements in the degree to which the human dimension commitments of the CSCE documents were being implemented; but I also said that the protection and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms depend on continued vigilance, even in countries where there is a long tradition of democracy and pluralism.

I called for full respect for human rights and better protection of minorities. I believe that these questions will continue to be central to the further development of security and co-operation in Europe. On the same occasion, I also said that ensuring the conditions in which the rights of the individual are respected in practice is one of the prime duties of all citizens and that this entails free elections and the rule of law. I called upon the conference to adopt detailed provisions which will give explicit expression to all these commitments.

In the Vienna Concluding Document of the CSCE, all the participating states explicitly agreed to take effective measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination against individuals or communities on the grounds of religion or belief and to foster a climate of mutual tolerance and respect between believers of different communities. We have on many occasions, both at CSCE meetings and in numerous bilateral contacts, made clear our views on these matters.