Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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No, it is not switched on.

As Mr. Wrafter noted, the promotion and protection of human rights has for many decades been a central and core part of Irish Government foreign policy, and membership of the Human Rights Council provides an opportunity to maximise Ireland's influence in that respect. On Syria, Mr. Wrafter's notes refer to a special session on Syria being held on 2 December 2011 and states that a rapporteur on the human rights situation was appointed at that time. Some NGOs working in the region - not just in Syria but also in the adjoining countries - have before this committee described the position there as the humanitarian issue of our generation. Is this on the agenda of every session of the Human Rights Council? If not, it would be highly remiss of it.

I wish to raise two further issues, the first of which concerns Israel's continued violation of human rights. The Palestinian people have ensured more than four decades of military occupation. They have witnessed - and unfortunately continue to witness - violence against civilians, restrictions on movement and forced displacement of persons. I understand that at the human rights session last March, the European Union stated it "would like to avoid the proliferation of reports and mechanisms under item 7". Moreover, the European Union did not participate in the item 7 discussions in June and September. This is happening despite Israel's continued violation of international law and it must be disappointing if the European Union is literally withdrawing from discussion of that issue at the Human Rights Council. Is it the policy of the Department or the Government to prioritise the raising of Israel's ongoing violation of human rights and international law? Can Ireland, through its membership of the European Union and of the Human Rights Council, encourage the European Union to participate on this particular issue? It is a major Union and trading bloc comprising 28 countries and the withdrawal of our representative - that is, the voice of the European Union - from such discussions on important issues sends out a bad message and exacerbates the climate of impunity for violations. This must be of concern to Ireland because, over the years, successive Governments have consistently raised the entire Israel-Palestine issue.

I have one further question concerning the expiration of the millennium development goals. Mr. Wrafter will be aware that some organisations welcomed them, while others criticised some of the different measures. In its recent international development policy and strategy, the Government quite rightly notes the promotion of human rights and international development as being part of our foreign policy, and in respect of international development, it also notes the importance of promoting and protecting human rights through development co-operation. One is very much dependent on and supportive of the other. What policy does or will Ireland have to maximise the work on the Human Rights Council to press for human rights to be a central focus in the ongoing debates on the future of international development policy after 2015 on foot of the expiration of the millennium development goals? At times, 2015 can appear to be a long way away.

In the development of strategy it is not that far away. I hope membership of the Human Rights Council gives us the opportunity to consistently raise the issues of human rights and international development and that whatever strategy succeeds the millennium development goals will have that focus and architecture.