Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will comment on the recent unlawful killing of a person (details supplied) in Mexico, a human rights activist with links to Ireland; if this has been looked into by his Department; if he has raised the matter with his Mexican counterpart as well as with the Mexican Ambassador in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22519/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The situation to which the Deputy refers concerns the attack on a humanitarian convoy in San Juan Copola, Oaxaca, on 27 April, in which a Mexican human rights defender, Ms Beatriz Carino and a Finnish observer, Mr Tyri Antero Jaakkola were killed by paramilitaries. Several other Human Rights Defenders and journalists suffered injuries. Ms Carino was a speaker at the Frontline 5th Dublin Platform Conference for Human Rights Defenders in February of this year. I wish to take this opportunity to extend my sympathies to her family and that of Mr Jaakkola.

I welcome the statement made on 3 May by the Spanish Presidency of the EU on behalf of EU Member States, which condemned the attack and called on the relevant authorities to do everything possible to identify, arrest and convict those responsible for the attack as well as taking all necessary measures to protect Human Rights Defenders in Mexico. I note also the statement on 12 May by four UN Special Rapporteurs on this case (the Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders; the Special Rapporteur on Summary, Extrajudicial or Arbitrary Executions; the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People and the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights to Freedom of Opinion and Expression). I share their concern that the situation in some parts of Mexico is extremely complex and that the difficulties faced by the Mexican Government, including in the context of its fight against drugs cartels, are very serious. While Mexico has taken significant steps in promoting respect for human rights, considerable challenges remain to be addressed, in particular at state level. There is no justification for failing to take strong steps when Human Rights Defenders are killed. To that end, I welcome the investigation set up by the Mexican authorities into the incident at San Juan Copala.

I have asked our Ambassador to Mexico to inform the Mexican authorities of the interest with which the Government, members of the Oireachtas and the NGO community are following this case, given Ms Carino's connection to Ireland and her participation in the recent Frontline Conference. Ireland, together with our European Union partners, monitors and engages with the Mexican authorities on the human rights situation in Mexico and the fulfilment of Mexico's human rights obligations under international law. As part of this process, the first meeting of a recently established EU-Mexico Human Rights Dialogue took place in Mexico City on 12 May. With our EU partners, we will continue to engage in dialogue with the Mexican authorities at both federal and state level.