Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle. On the afternoon of 4 October a young artist and activist, 24 year old Dumar Noe Mestizo, was murdered in Cauca, southern Colombia, by men riding motorbikes. He is one of the latest victims of the chronic violence against members of the indigenous communities in Colombia. In 2009 Dumar's father, who was the Nasa indigenous leader, Marino Mestizo, was also murdered in the same region. In a statement, people representing the north Cauca indigenous association said that they hold responsible the Colombian Government for showing total indifference to the incidents of genocide facing the indigenous people. I wish to repeat that because it is such a significant statement: they said they hold responsible the Colombian Government for showing total indifference to the incidents of genocide facing their people.

In August, the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, the country's largest such body, said that 97 indigenous leaders and activists had been murdered in the preceding 12 months, with the majority of cases occurring in Cauca. Since then, several other killings have occurred. Overall, more than 500 social activists have been killed since the peace deal was signed in November 2016.This is not peace and the Colombian Government has shown no signs of wanting to implement the peace agreement. Peace is not just important for FARC; it is also important for the natives of Colombia who, like most indigenous peoples of the Americas, are among the most oppressed and neglected communities in the world. They have been totally ignored and abandoned by successive Governments in Colombia, but also by the international community. They are victims of imperialism, colonialism and capitalism, and this is not what they deserve. As a nation which prides itself on respect and dignity with aspirations for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, it is important that we stand up for indigenous communities and vulnerable peoples across the world.

We know too well from our own history what it is like to be an oppressed people in our own country. There is no point in seeking a place on the UN Security Council unless Ireland is prepared to speak out and stand up for the vulnerable. Otherwise, we simply uphold the status quo. Surely the point is to make the world a better place. I hope the Minister of State will be able to clarify the situation for us today, since such representations should form a core aspect of our bid for a seat on the UN Security Council. What has the Government done to help these people? What will it do and what is it prepared to do to help bring these murders to an end?

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. As the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, is preparing for parliamentary questions in the Lower House, I have been asked to take this Commencement matter.

I am aware of the difficult situation that exits for human rights defenders and indigenous leaders in Colombia and of the worrying levels of violence, threats and intimidation against these groups. The absence of the state in former conflict areas following the demobilisation of FARC has resulted in other armed groups gaining control in these areas, primarily to control the illegal economy. This has implications for the security of local communities, in particular human rights defenders and community leaders, including indigenous leaders.

Our new resident embassy in Bogotá has been engaging with civil society, European Union and multilateral partners on this issue since it opened at the beginning of this year. We also raise this matter regularly in our exchanges with the Colombian Government. The Taoiseach underlined Ireland's continuing support for the Colombian peace process at his meeting with President Duque on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in September last year. The visit of the Foreign Minister of Colombia, Carlos Holmes Trujillo Garcia, to Ireland last September also included dialogue and exchanges on the situation for human rights defenders in the country.

Earlier this year, former Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, in his position as UN special envoy to the Colombian peace process, a role in which he is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, led the 11th session of the EU-Colombia human rights dialogue. During this dialogue with representatives of the Colombian Government he raised the alarmingly high numbers of attacks against human rights defenders across the country. Particular reference was made to the disproportionately high level of violence against indigenous leaders and the need for collective protection measures.

Furthermore, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade regularly meets and supports human rights defenders from Colombia. It will continue to engage with these groups through our embassy in Bogotá and in Ireland. The peace process is fundamental to improving the human rights situation in the country and Ireland has contributed over €14 million in support of this since 2007, mainly channelled through the UN and Colombian and international NGOs focusing on human rights, conflict prevention, peace building and supporting livelihoods for rural populations. Ireland also provides ongoing support in the form of lesson sharing, based on our own experience of peace building and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. In June this year, a delegation from Northern Ireland visited Colombia to engage in discussions with the government on key elements of the peace agreement and its implementation.

Great strides have been made in the implementation of the peace accord in Colombia. However, significant challenges remain, including in the areas of rural reform, the reincorporation of former combatants and the protection of human rights defenders and social leaders.Not least among the lessons we have learned in 20 years of implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is how long it takes to build a sustainable peace. It is not a linear process. Ireland will remain a committed supporter of Colombia in its efforts to secure long-lasting peace and security for its people.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his response. I have to tell him that this is almost a personal matter for me at this stage. I went to Colombia in May and visited a town called Cajibio in the Cauca region, where the locals showed me pictures of all the young men who had been murdered by right-wing paramilitaries. They operate with impunity. That is why indigenous people have been so clear in calling out the responsibility of the Colombian Government. I acknowledge the engagements that have taken place. What is missing so far, however, is a clear condemnation by our Government of the extreme right-wing Colombian Government of President Duque, whose members are happy to sit with their arms folded and effectively facilitate the genocide of indigenous peoples in Colombia. I suspect that one has to meet those people to see the true horrors that have unfolded. I was equally horrified to find out that the local forests, from which these right-wing paramilitaries emerged to kill these people, were owned by an Irish company.

We need to do more. I would like to hear a clear ringing condemnation of the failure of the Colombian Government to protect the indigenous people I am speaking of.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. It is obvious that he is very engaged with and understands this situation. I can say from my personal knowledge that the former Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore, is equally committed to this process and has spent a lot of time on it. He was there when the initial peace process came to a false dawn and did not come to pass. He has worked incessantly ever since to secure the peace deal that was brokered three years ago and to make it work. As I said in my opening comments, we have learned that this is not a linear or quick process. There are lots of areas that need to be worked on. Condemnation is simple, but is it effective? We need to work with people to persuade them, as has happened in South Africa, Mozambique, Latin America and other places. We need people to engage. Over the years our President has been very involved in Central America in his previous roles as a Minister and Deputy. There is a lot of work to be done. There are lessons from all over the world which we can pick up on. Hopefully those lessons will be accepted and taken up by the political leadership in Colombia. That is absolutely essential if it is to work. We see this ourselves and we sometimes fail to understand why others do not, but we have to work with them. That is very important. That is why we want to get a seat on the UN Security Council in 2021.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming before the House.