The Government consistently supports the promotion and protection of the human rights of all persons, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and is strongly committed to combating all human rights violations committed against individuals on such or any other basis. When I addressed the UN General Assembly on 28 September 2013, I pledged Ireland’s full support to the efforts of the UN Secretary General in his efforts to lead a global campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights. I also had the honour of addressing the Annual Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association of Europe (ILGA-Europe) on 21 October 2012, when I affirmed that LGBTI rights are human rights.
At the UN, Ireland co-sponsored the landmark Resolution at the Human Rights Council (HRC) on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity in 2011. As members of the HRC, we will continue to promote the advancement of LGBTI rights, including through the Universal Periodic Review process. At the EU level, Ireland engaged extensively in the drafting process for the new EU Guidelines on the enjoyment of all human rights by LGBTI persons, which were adopted at the final Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 24 June 2013.
I am deeply concerned by the news that Uganda is enacting legislation to criminalise homosexuality. I have made it clear, including in direct talks with President Museveni, that the enactment of this legislation would affect our valued relationship with Uganda. Ireland, together with our EU partners, has engaged actively with the Ugandan Parliament and President Museveni in an effort to halt the regressive and discriminatory Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It is in clear conflict with Uganda’s binding international obligations to uphold human rights. It is a threat to Uganda’s gay community and an affront to all those who value tolerance, respect and dignity of all people.
I am also concerned at the recent adoption of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act in Nigeria. I welcome and fully support the statement of 15 January by the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, which highlighted the EU’s serious concerns with this legislation. We will continue to urge the Nigerian authorities to reconsider the Act in light of Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations and in the meantime to exercise the utmost restraint in its enforcement.
Our aid programme is amongst the best in the world and has a clear focus on poverty reduction and on assisting some of the most marginalised people in the developing world. Good governance and human rights are key elements of our development programme and we provide assistance to civil society organisations promoting human rights and also for Human Rights Commissions tasked with upholding human rights in some of our Partner Countries. Our aid programme and our international reputation enables us to dialogue directly with Governments on a range of human rights issues. We also do this in close cooperation with other donor partners. This maximises our influence in this enormously important area. We are also ready to take action, as we have done in Uganda, when serious issues of governance arise. But we also want to ensure that the poorest of the poor are not penalised for the faults of their governments and we seek to look at ways of delivering assistance effectively for the benefit of the poor. Ireland will continue its efforts internationally to promote human rights, including LGBTI rights, and to give support to organisations and institutions that are active in the human rights field, many of whom are operating in very difficult environments.
