Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he and his EU colleagues are engaged in positive dialogue with African countries with a view to the elimination of human rights or other abuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17068/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland closely monitors developments in the human rights situation throughout the world and, where the situation warrants, we make known our concerns to the governments in question, bilaterally, through the EU, or through action at the UN General Assembly or the UN Human Rights Council. Ireland also supports the work of the International Criminal Court, which marks a real effort to end impunity for war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and which is investigating four situations in Africa.

The risk of human rights violations is of course greater where political, economic and administrative systems are weak. Development is essential to allow people the full enjoyment of their human rights, and Africa lies at the heart of Ireland's development co-operation programme. Irish Aid supports specific actions designed to promote human rights, including by strengthening government systems and in-country human rights institutions, in particular through legal training. Irish Aid has a specific focus on governance in several programme countries.

The importance of the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the world is a cornerstone of the European Union's external action. In its political dialogue with individual African countries under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement, the EU regularly raises issues which arise in the development of democracy and the need for protection and promotion of human rights.

The African Union has an important and growing role to play in the protection of human rights in Africa. The aims of the African Union include the promotion of peace, security, and democracy on the continent, as well as the promotion and protection of human rights, in accordance with the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. The emergence of African standards in this area is a very welcome development.

The EU-Africa Joint Strategy, which was adopted at the Lisbon Summit in December 2007, commits Europe and Africa to closer political dialogue, which will provide an opportunity to raise human rights issues as required. One of the initial Partnerships under the Joint Strategy will focus on democratic governance and human rights. Preliminary discussions have taken place between the EU and the African Union on establishing a regular dialogue between the two organisations on human rights issues. It is expected that the first formal dialogue meeting will take place at official level at the end of May 2008.