Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 349: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the third session of the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council which was held between 1 and 15 December 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46616/08]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on discussions regarding Colombia at the third session of the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council. [46617/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together.

The third session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council took place in Geneva between 1 and 15 December 2008. The UPR is one of the major new aspects of the Council, which subjects each UN member State to a thorough review of its human rights performance every fourth year. The reviews are based on information provided by the concerned State, compilation reports prepared by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and input from NGOs. Each review is facilitated by three States members who act as rapporteurs. During the UPR Working Group sessions, States and NGOs have the opportunity to participate in an interactive dialogue with the State under review.

Sixteen countries were reviewed at the third UPR session, namely Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Colombia, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. Ireland participated actively at the session, putting questions and recommendations to Botswana, Burundi, Colombia, Israel, Montenegro, Serbia and Uzbekistan. The questions and recommendations of participating States, including those from Ireland, are reflected in the outcome reports that were adopted by the UPR Working Group and can be viewed on the website of the Human Rights Council: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRmain.aspx

In relation specifically to the examination of Colombia, the Irish Delegation raised issues and made recommendations regarding human rights defenders, victims of gender-based violence and extrajudicial killings. Ireland welcomed recent Colombian government assurances on the protection of Human Rights Defenders and the development of a Protection Programme for Human Rights Defenders. Ireland also recommended that Colombian legislation on Human Rights Defenders be implemented in full. Ireland recommended that the Colombian government implement the May 2008 Constitutional Court ruling that the witness protection programme be revised to deal with gender-based violence.

Ireland recommended that the Colombian Government implement urgently the recommendations of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008. In welcoming recent Colombian government efforts to end the incidence of extrajudicial killings in Colombia, Ireland further recommended that the new National Plan of Action on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law be used to address comprehensively the issue of extra-judicial killings. Ireland will examine the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia which was adopted on 15 December.

The establishment of a strong UPR mechanism was viewed by Ireland and the wider EU membership as a key innovation of the Human Rights Council. Its universal nature counters charges of selectivity. We have stressed the importance of ensuring that experts and NGOs are fully involved in the process, and the importance of concrete outcomes and operational follow-up. The first two UPR sessions took place in April and May 2008 respectively. As 16 States are reviewed at each session, a total of 48 States have been reviewed so far. Ireland is due to undergo the UPR process in 2011.