Mr. Colin Wrafter:

This folder here contains all the statements we have made at the UN Human Rights Council over the past three months. The reason I am showing it is that as a member of the council we try, in so far as possible, to engage on almost every issue. To give an extreme example, in September we intervened in a debate on albinism, the rights of albinos, which is a particular problem in African countries. We are very conscious of our responsibility as a member of the council to engage with issues that may not normally be on our radar.

The Deputy raised the issue of the universal periodic review, UPR and Irish Aid. We are very conscious that there has to be a relationship between what Ireland is doing on the ground in aid countries and the human rights situation in them. Nigeria, which is not a partner country, is an example of where there are problems with anti-gay legislation. In Uganda, which is a partner country, there have also been problems with anti-gay legislation and irresponsible rhetoric in this area by local politicians. We have made our position quite clear both publicly and privately in this regard. It is almost a rule that where an Irish Aid partner country is examined under the UPR, we take a definite interest in that examination and make recommendations through our embassies on the ground. Irish non-governmental organisations also lobby us on particular issues in various countries.

There is much follow-up work on the two national initiatives mentioned already, civil society and space and preventable under-fives morbidity and mortality. We have started the ball rolling in both of these but we need to keep it so. As I stated earlier in my presentation, we hope to have a more substantive resolution on civil society-space at the September 2014 session.

We will continue to follow the human rights situations in particular countries. The Hungarian resolution on reprisals against human rights defenders where they co-operate with the UN is a good example of where we have taken an active role. It was not our baby but we felt it was an important role. Norway led on the human rights defenders issue at the March 2013 session, an occasion on which we took an active role in support of it. At the General Assembly, Norway has a resolution on women human rights defenders which is related to but not the same resolution. Again, we are taking an active role in promoting this. We want to contribute to the work of the council, help make a difference, in so far as we can, but also to enhance our reputation as a serious player in the international human rights fora, as well as a country with a strong and honourable tradition of promoting and protecting human rights that goes right back to the 1960s.