I have received a copy of the Amnesty International report, Human Rights Begin at Home. The Government values the contribution that Amnesty International makes to furthering the cause of promoting and protecting human rights internationally and will give appropriate weight to the recommendations contained in the report.
The report calls for the European Union to take effective leadership in putting into practice its human rights policies at home and outside the Union. As the Deputy is aware, support for human rights is a core value which underpins the European Union and is a priority of the Irish Presidency. The EU is a community of shared values, founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. These principles come from the constitutional traditions and international obligations common to the member states of the Union.
The protection and the promotion of human rights not only constitute defining principles of the EU, but also form part of Community legislation. They were explicitly incorporated into and stated as common European objectives in the Treaty on European Union, which entered into force in November 1993. This step represented a significant strengthening of human rights as a priority issue for the EU in its internal as well as external policies.
The charter of fundamental rights of the European Union, which was proclaimed by the three main EU institutions, namely, the Council, the Commission and the Parliament, in December 2000, is aimed at further strengthening the protection of fundamental rights in the light of changes in society, social progress and technological developments, by making the rights more visible in an EU instrument.
On the external policies of the EU, Article 11 of the Treaty on European Union states that efforts to develop and consolidate democracy and the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are among the objectives of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU. Article 117 of the Treaty establishing the European Community requires that Community Development Co-operation policy also contributes to the achievement of these objectives. During our Presidency Ireland will work with our EU partners works to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms.