Richard Bruton
Ceist:59 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland's role and main concerns while chairing the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. [8869/99]
Written Answers. - UN Human Rights Commission.
The 55th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights began its deliberations in Geneva on 22 March last and it will continue its work until 30 April next. In addition to being one of the 53 members of the commission, Ireland will, for the first time, hold the chair at this commission session. I understand that there are four priority issues for the chair this year.
The first is the review of mechanisms and procedures of the commission. This session will consider a comprehensive set of proposals aimed at improving the effectiveness of the commission in several areas, including investigation, responsiveness to complaints, legal standard-setting and human rights research. It is hoped that implementation of all or some of these proposals will make a significant improvement to the capacity of the UN to respond to human rights needs. As chair, Ireland will seek to bring this process forward. The second is preparations for the world conference on racism. This session of the commission will oversee a crucial stage in the preparations for this world conference, which is due to take place in 2001. Last week, an open-ended working group was set up to formulate proposals and arrangements for the conference. As chair, Ireland has responsibility for giving this process positive direction and ensuring that it addresses the issues in an open and even-handed manner. The third issue is the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This convention has achieved almost universal ratification, with only two member states of the UN yet to ratify it. The commission will address concerns regarding implementation of the convention and the chair will aim to focus discussion on two themes: first, children in armed conflict and, second, child pornography and trafficking in children. The fourth issue is the question of resources for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The chair hopes to address the institutional arrangements for the provision of financial resources to the High Commissioner's Office.
With regard to resolutions, it should be noted that the agenda of the commission consists of 21 fixed items and only members of the commission can table resolutions under these items during the session. The chair, therefore, has no role to play in the setting of the agenda or in the tabling of resolutions. The EU normally sponsors the majority of the country resolutions at the commission. This year is no exception, with the EU tabling country resolutions on Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. On the thematic front, the EU will table resolutions on the rights of the child and on the question of the death penalty. In addition to contributing to the preparation and drafting of EU resolutions on both country situations and thematic concerns, Ireland's national delegation will also continue its traditional sponsoring of the resolution on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief.
The EU Presidency will also deliver, on behalf of the 15 member states, a general statement on human rights at the commission. This statement is currently being finalised and it will be delivered in the coming days. Ireland's delegation has played a significant role in the drafting of this EU statement and has worked to ensure that it reflects our concerns. Our delegation may also deliver national statements on national human rights institutions and on the independence and impartiality of judges and lawyers.
Last year, Ireland co-sponsored resolution 1998/72 on the right to development. This was the first time that a statement on the right to development received unqualified support from the membership of the United Nations. The resolution was dedicated to advancing economic and social progress in the developing world, to enable all people to enjoy their fundamental rights and freedoms. This year, Ireland will work to ensure that the spirit of co-operation and compromise which guided last year's negotiations on this subject is maintained. Ireland will also examine the existing mechanisms and procedures for the protection of economic, social and cultural rights with a view to strengthening systems for the protection of these rights.
My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Liz O'Donnell, who has specific responsibility for human rights issues, addressed the commission on 24 March last and set out the Government's approach to the work of the commission. She expressed especial appreciation for the work of the special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Param Cumaraswamy. In that context, she voiced the Government's concern that the inquiry announced by the British Government into Rosemary Nelson's murder be fully independent. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, also spoke about the new human rights landscape being established in both parts of Ireland under the Good Friday Agreement, stressing that a new human rights culture embodying the spirit of the Agreement, with its credo of fairness and inclusivity, will permeate the new institutions. The Minister of State also addressed the issues of racism and children's rights in her statement.