Gay Mitchell
Ceist:54 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed regarding slavery in Eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26498/02]
Written Answers. - Human Rights Abuses.
I assume the Deputy is referring to reports concerning the forced exploitation of women, including their trafficking for sexual purposes, in various countries in Europe. The Government is committed to the active promotion of full observance of universal human rights standards, and opposes and seeks the elimination of all contemporary forms of slavery. Contemporary forms of slavery include practices such as bonded labour, the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking in persons. The Government is also opposed to all acts and practices which degrade or exploit women.
Through participation at international fora such as the UN General Assembly, the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, we raise our concerns in tandem with like-minded countries regarding these issues. For example, at the 58th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Ireland co-sponsored a number of resolutions on these issues, including that on "Trafficking in Women and Girls".
The UN body with responsibility for the study of all aspects of slavery is the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, an inter-sessional working group of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Ireland has provided financial assistance to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, with the purpose of assisting involved NGOs to participate in the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and to provide assistance to individual victims of such practices.
The reality of trafficking as an affront to human dignity and as a threat to security and stability was recognised by Ireland and our EU partners in a statement to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, human dimension implementation meeting held in Warsaw from 9 to 19 September last. More recently at the OSCE tenth Ministerial Council held in Porto from 6 to 7 December last, where Ministers adopted a declaration on trafficking in human beings, my colleague, the Minister for Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, condemned trafficking as a modern form of slavery.
I welcome the decision of the incoming Dutch chair to make trafficking in all its forms the focal theme for next year's OSCE economic forum. The importance of addressing trafficking in persons has been recognised by Ireland and our EU partners. Article 5 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union provides that no one should be held in slavery or be required to perform forced or compulsory labour. It also prohibits trafficking in human beings.
Ireland, along with all other EU member states, and the Commission on behalf of the European Community, have signed the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime and its two accompanying protocols on prevention, suppression and punishment of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and smuggling of migrants by land, air or sea. The protocol on trafficking not only provides for measures to suppress trafficking, but also for measures to protect the victims of trafficking. An end to trafficking of persons is a priority for Ireland and our EU partners. We will continue to work for the worldwide elimination of slavery in all its forms.