Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
631. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise the situation facing the Guarani-Kaiowá people with the authorities of the Federal Republic of Brazil; his views on concerns regarding their rights as indigenous persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19818/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá people and the challenges faced by indigenous populations in Brazil and across Latin America, to which the Deputy refers.
Ireland condemns any intimidation, violence, or discrimination perpetrated against indigenous and environmental human rights defenders in Brazil or elsewhere. Officials in my Department, both at home and abroad, engage regularly with civil society leaders and human rights activists in Latin America, including those working on indigenous rights, in relation to the circumstances they face on the ground.
The issue of the rights of indigenous peoples is the subject of ongoing attention by European Union Ambassadors in Brazil and Ireland and other EU member States strongly support the mandate of FUNAI, the government agency responsible for enforcing the rights of indigenous peoples. Together with our EU partners, we have urged the Government of Brazil to ensure that FUNAI is adequately resourced to carry out its important work.
The Deputy will be aware that the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples visited Brazil in March of last year to identify and assess the main issues facing indigenous peoples there. On that occasion, the Special Rapporteur visited the Guarani-Kaiowá people in Mato Grosso Do Sul. The Special Rapporteur’s report of August 2016 recognised that Brazil has in the past been a leader in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights and has made significant achievements in this area, including in constitutional provisions protecting the rights of its indigenous people. However, the report also noted a worrying regression in the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights in recent years.
In keeping with Ireland’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, I urge the Brazilian government to implement the recommendations made by the UN Special Rapporteur in order to ensure the full realisation of the rights of indigenous peoples such as the Guarani-Kaiowá.
Officials of my Department, including those in the embassy in Brasilia, will continue to actively engage with issues around human rights and the situation of indigenous peoples in Brazil.
