Will the Minister of State write to me regarding the Vienna treaty on the International Court of Justice?
Business of Select Committee.
I will. The Deputy has tested me today with his great wisdom and experience.
I thank the Minister of State for attending today. Yesterday I met José Girón, president of the Institute of Popular Education in Colombia. He was visiting Ireland as a guest of Trócaire and asked for our support in raising the status of the mission of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bogota, Colombia, and, specifically, to ensure the demobilisation process under way in that country provided for inputs by the mission of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, particularly with regard to the rule of law and the rights of victims seeking a restoration of land, as well as a return of the bodies of murdered family members. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs this morning, it was agreed that I should raise this matter with the Minister of State and ask him to highlight the issue at the next meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council which will take place on 13 December. Mr. Girón emphasised the importance of the work done by the mission of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and asked that the Minister of State also highlight its work in order that it would continue to receive support.
We would be delighted to raise at the earliest possible moment and at the most appropriate forum the request from the visiting dignitaries to the Chairman.
We will contact our mission in Mexico concerning the request of Deputy Michael Higgins with a view to making contact with the UN commission involved so that we can raise his concerns directly.
I thank the Minister of State and his officials for attending today.
The select committee adjourned at 4.20 p.m. sine die.