Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004
225 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will promote and support a campaign to establish a UN international convention to provide protected status for aid workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26752/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt should be recalled at the outset that states are obliged, under international law, to protect the rights of all civilians in their territory, including aid workers, even in time of war or armed conflict. Ireland has consistently called upon all states to respect these obligations.
With regard to a convention to provide protected status for aid workers, the Deputy may be aware of the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel of 1994, to which Ireland acceded in March 2002. The convention applies in respect of UN personnel on defined UN operations, and associated personnel, that is, personnel provided, with the agreement of the UN, by governments, intergovernmental organisations, or humanitarian non-governmental organisations, to assist in the fulfilment of the mandate of such UN operations. The convention obliges states parties to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of UN and associated personnel and to protect them from murder, kidnapping or other attack. It also requires states parties to punish the perpetrators of such attacks, and to co-operate with one another in any such criminal proceedings.
A number of weaknesses have been identified in the legal regime created by the convention, in particular the narrow definition accorded to the term "UN operation", which prevents the application of the convention to non-peace keeping operations without a prior declaration of exceptional risk by the General Assembly or Security Council. In response to this, the strengthening of the scope of the convention has been discussed by the Sixth (International Law) Committee of the UN General Assembly.
In meetings of the sixth committee, Ireland and its EU partners have been consistent and strong supporters of the strengthening of the convention. In the meeting of the sixth committee on this matter, held earlier this month, Ireland and the EU called for the application of the convention to be extended to all UN operations delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance. Discussions on this matter are expected to be resumed in spring 2005.
