Ireland’s diplomatic relations with Pakistan are maintained by secondary accreditation via our Embassy in Ankara and the Pakistani Embassy in Dublin. Following the attack on Malala Yousufzai in October last year, I asked our Embassy to maintain direct contact with representatives of the EU and its Member States in Islamabad. The Deputy will be aware that following this incident last October, there was widespread condemnation of the attack at both EU and UN level. The High Representative / Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton, and the Secretary General of the United National Ban Ki Moon issued statements condemning this attack – condemnations which I shared at the time, and continue to share. Like many others, I admire Malala Yousufzai’s courageous efforts to promote the fundamental right to education and her efforts to achieve education for women and girls in Pakistan and other regions worldwide.
At the UN level, Ireland attaches great importance to the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and opinion. In addition, as an elected member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the period 2013-2015, Ireland is fully engaged at the UN to ensure that these rights are protected. Pakistan was also recently elected to the HRC for the period 2013-2015, so we will have the opportunity of working closely with them on a range of human rights issues.
In addition, during Pakistan’s most recent UN Universal Periodic Review in October 2012, Ireland urged the Government of Pakistan to give consideration to adopting measures to protect individual and minority rights in line with its Constitution and with international human rights standards and conventions, and recommended that the government of Pakistan invite the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders to conduct an independent visit to Pakistan.
During Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, I will continue to work with my European and international colleagues through all the available mechanisms.
The EU engages in regular dialogue with Pakistan on human rights and democratic principles, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The EU has called on the Pakistani authorities, at the highest level, to adopt measures to protect individual and minority rights in line with its Constitution and with international human rights standards and conventions. In particular, the EU adopted a 5 year engagement plan with Pakistan in 2012.
The five year engagement plan aims to build a strategic EU-Pakistan relationship by forging a partnership for peace and development rooted in shared values, principles and commitments.
A Strategic EU relationship with Pakistan is of vital interest to Europe as well as Pakistan. The start of the Strategic Dialogue and the visit by High Representative Ashton in June 2012 demonstrated the importance that the EU attaches to Pakistan and its role in the region.
Since then, Ireland has remained engaged and is working with partners to implement this plan which makes clear that the Government of Pakistan under its constitutional and international obligations, has a responsibility to protect its citizens.
