Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I congratulate Mr. Lambrinidis on getting the job and commend the European Union on its decision to have an ambassador in the field of human rights. I do not know where to start because Mr. Lambrinidis's work is so vast and there are so many other competing forces on human rights right across the board, from the United Nations to the OSCE, as well as human rights defenders, etc. I am trying to get a handle on how Mr. Lambrinidis, in a relatively new and small office, hopes to engage with organisations such as those he mentioned, including the Arab League and the African Union, as well as peripheral countries and emerging democracies. Given the existing forces, perhaps he would explain what kind of hat we will wear as Europeans. For example, as Mr. Lambrinidis will be aware, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights is doing a particular job with regard to human rights, trafficking and strengthening institutions through development aid. It is such a vast area. How does Mr. Lambrinidis want to relate, for example, to Russia? It is suggested that Russia is placing very severe restrictions on the funding of NGOs.

Today's committee's agenda includes issues from the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE with regard to Sergei Magnitsky, of whom, presumably, Mr. Lambrinidis will be aware. Then, of course, I have been exposed to the issue of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, of whom, presumably, Mr. Lambrinidis will be aware as well. At the committee, we debate many issues such as whether the human rights of Ukraine's former Prime Minister, Ms Tymoshenko, are being impinged upon. We constantly hear of the possibility of anti-gay laws being introduced in Uganda, with severe ramifications there. How far can the Special Representative for Human Rights, as an office of the European Union, extend his remit?

I will concentrate particularly on a pet subject of mine that is covered in Mr. Lambrinidis's document, in which he speaks about universality and his belief that the European Union should make a greater effort to underline the universality of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The reference to cultural rights has me fascinated. Cultural rights can be, for example, the rights or the beliefs of tribal people in Sierra Leone, where 60% of girls suffer female genital mutilation. The comparable right in Ireland, for example, as a holy Roman Catholic society, would be with regard to girls celebrating their first Holy Communion. Then one looks at the composition of some of the Muslim states where Sharia law is in vogue and amputations are the norm. What is Mr. Lambrinidis's role in addressing cultural norms in these places, and religious beliefs in others, which would be deemed by our standards to run counter to normal human rights?