Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss Ireland's chairmanship of the OSCE and the opportunities this presents. Despite the damage to our reputation caused by the economic crisis of recent years, our legacy in terms of our leadership on human rights and overseas aid has held true to us. I refer to our role in terms of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons treaty and the foundation of the UN and the fact we have had Nobel prize winners, such as Seán McBride, John Hume and David Trimble, and a High Commissioner for Human Rights, Dr. Mary Robinson. For a small island of 6 million people and a small State of 4.5 million people, our legacy is tremendous. The more one travels, the more feedback one gets and we could play a role as an honest broker and as a facilitator between our umbilical brothers and sisters in the United States - a relationship built on emigration - and the rest of the world.

There is sense - I sought counsel on this from people in NGOs and so on - that there could be duplication. There needs to be a clear delineation of responsibilities. What is the role of the UN, NATO and OSCE in conflict resolution? We need to clearly delineate the lines between, and the roles given to, those distinct organisations. The last thing one needs is duplication when one is trying to address conflict resolution. One perfect example of Europe's failure is the Israel-Palestine crisis. Since the Oslo Accord, the Israeli state has proceeded with the illegal settlements in the West Bank, in particular. A recent leaked reported from EU rapporteurs on the ground showed that the Jewish population in what is called area C, where these settlements are being built, has increased from approximately 120,000 to 500,000. The Palestinian population has rapidly declined and some UN reports have referred to it as ethnic cleansing. It is in defiance of international law and yet Europe continues to maintain the favourable trade relationship with Israel. It actually rewards Israel for that approach.

Similarly, in regard to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons treaty, all the focus is on Iran. Iran, like all signatories, must meet its responsibilities under that treaty but Israel is not even a signatory to it. There are only three countries which are not signatories to that treaty, namely, Pakistan, India and Israel. However, we will focus on Israel for now. It is clearly in possession of hundreds of nuclear warheads and yet there is no focus on it whatsoever or no sanctions. Indeed, it is rewarded. Unless there is consistency in the application of the rule of international law by Europe, then its moral weight in that region is severely impacted on. Of course, that has a knock-on effect in the region.

There is a real opportunity for Europe with the Arab spring. I had the privilege to visit Tunisia for a number of days and to experience at first hand the potential of the Arab spring there. Compared to other uprisings, it was quite remarkable. It took a number of weeks to eventually overthrow Ben Ali. Tragically, there were more than 300 deaths but that was nothing compared to what it took others to win their freedom from a dictators. In that country, there is a moderate forum for Islam in the personification of Ennahda, the party which won the most support in the elections to the constituent assembly there where secular and moderate Islam work side by side. Tunisia has the potential to be a template which proves that there is the capacity within Islam and Arab countries to have moderate democracy which recognises the rights and entitlements of all citizens. Tunisia is working on a constitution and is one of the European Union's closest neighbours on the African continent. The Tánaiste was in Tunis as part of the peace initiative in regard to Syria and met the leaders there, including the prime minister. It is really is a superb template.

I refer to the situation in Bahrain where the regime had a recent commercial success with the Formula One race going ahead in defiance of the Shia majority in that state. A human rights leader there, who is supported by front line defenders in this country, is on hunger strike. He is a wonderful man of peace who is dying and yet there is total inaction by the West. The regime in Bahrain presents itself as one which has something to tell the people of Syria. There are so many inconsistencies in the way Europe and the West apply themselves to the region.

Our track record in the promotion of human rights, our proclaimed neutrality, although it has been undermined in recent years with the use of Shannon for aeroplanes stopping off on the way to war in the Gulf, our defence of human rights and our honourable track record in overseas aids mean that with the chairmanship of OSCE, we have the chance to promote our status and to play a role beyond the NATO states in Europe.

I was not aware of the conference on focusing on the lessons learned in the North. That was an excellent initiative bringing hundreds of people from the area covered by the OSCE here to learn those lessons. We need to see more of that.

There needs to be a forceful confrontation in regard to Belarus. I know there are sanctions and so on in place but we need to pursue the issue of Belarus during our term. As the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, will know, Paddy Ashdown appeared before a joint meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committees on European Union Affairs and Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was very concerned about the situation in Bosnia. He referred to Bosnia as being the poster boys of that process but he worries that the leader of the Bosnian Serbs is undermining the continued peace. As we know, Bosnia is very divided on ethnic grounds, with the Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and so on. That country suffered horrendously during the war there. The leader of the Bosnian Serbs denies those dreadful atrocities took place. I urge the Tánaiste to use his position - I know the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, will engage in a range of meetings in the countries in that region - and to take a leadership role in that situation, to try to help it along and listen to the advice of people like Paddy Ashdown, who is very concerned about the undermining of the advances made in the region.

It is an honour to hold the chairmanship of the organisation but I urge the Government to use that term to further strengthen Ireland's reputation and to take courageous initiatives in those areas which have been failed, whether within the OSCE or outside it in the context of the Arab spring and Israel-Palestine, and to advance them, separately if needs be.

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