Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 107: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on ongoing allegations of political repression and intimidation in Zimbabwe; his further views on whether early elections in Zimbabwe should be delayed until critical democratic reforms are implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18818/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I share the Deputy's concern regarding continuing abuses of the rights of citizens in Zimbabwe. Violence, intimidation and ongoing arrests demonstrate a disregard of human rights. Lack of rule of law and accountable governance remain fundamental challenges. The hope of the Global Political Agreement, upon which the Government is based, was to permit Zimbabweans to live in peace and free from violence and to be empowered to elect their representatives in parliament and Government through democratic elections. On the positive side, the conclusions of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of SADC countries held in Sandton on 12 June 2011 on Zimbabwe, were encouraging. Ireland and its EU partners commend SADC, and in particular President Zuma, the SADC facilitator on Zimbabwe, on the progress made in their facilitation efforts. The Sandton Summit is another step towards the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement, a new Constitution, and laying the foundations for democratic reforms and elections in Zimbabwe.

The question of when elections should be held is related to the progress which is made, under SADC facilitation, toward agreement on a roadmap to the achievement of a new Constitution and democratic reforms. Such reforms are necessary to provide a measure of trust and an environment which is as free from violence and intimidation as possible. We shall continue to support the efforts of SADC to achieve this agreement, and to urge the parties in Government in Zimbabwe to work in good faith to that end.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 108: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any initiatives have been taken at EU and UN level to address the reports of the alleged serious mistreatment of democracy activists in prisons in Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18819/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Government is deeply concerned about the continued high level and gravity of human rights violations in Iran, including the mistreatment of democracy activists and other detainees in prisons in Iran. Issues of particular concern in relation to detainees include widespread torture and other ill-treatment in detention, coerced confessions, the failure to uphold detainees' right to legal counsel and family visits, failure to observe proper procedure during the trial process and the frequent and arbitrary application of the death penalty. The EU has sought to raise human rights issues in Iran relating to detainees and the judicial process, as well as the application of the death penalty, with the Iranian authorities on several recent occasions. On 6 June, Hungary carried out a demarche on behalf of the EU to the head of the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ali Bahreini, on a number of detainees. This follows an earlier demarche in April regarding detained human rights defenders (Javid Houtan Kian and 6 others).

In a further effort to increase the EU's impact on human rights in Iran, including the rights of detainees, the Foreign Affairs Council in April adopted a travel ban and asset freeze against a number of serious human rights offenders in Iran. This sends an important political signal to those in the judicial system and elsewhere in the Iranian regime who perpetrate human rights abuses.

At UN level, Ireland was active in ensuring the successful adoption at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March of a decision providing for appointment of a Special Rapporteur to examine Iran's human rights situation. We call upon the Government of Iran to extend the utmost cooperation to the Special Rapporteur.

At a bilateral level, my Department engages in ongoing dialogue with the Iranian Ambassador and his Embassy on these issues. My officials have already held a number of meetings with the Ambassador since the start of this year to convey our grave concerns at the human rights situation in Iran. Ireland will continue to raise human rights in Iran, including the rights of activists and other detainees, bilaterally and at the EU and UN, at all appropriate occasions.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the UN peace keeping mandate in the country; the action being taken at EU and UN level to address the ongoing extreme level of human rights abuses and sexual violence there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18820/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The international community is following closely the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the country recovers from the effects of the 1996-2003 civil war. Since the 2002 Sun City peace accords, progress has been made in establishing a democratic system of government in the DRC. However, while much of the country has achieved a degree of stability, several localised conflicts have continued, in particular in the east of the country. These conflicts have in many cases been characterised by an appalling degree of brutality, with large-scale attacks on the civilian population and widespread sexual violence. The humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, where more than a million people have been forced to flee their homes due to the effects of ongoing conflict, remains a cause of deep concern. The United Nations has sought to enhance stability in the DRC through the work of MONUSCO, formerly MONUC, the UN's largest peacekeeping mission. MONUSCO's current strength is just under 20,000 troops, military observers and police, along with 3,767 international and local civilian staff and 616 UN volunteers. 49 countries, including Ireland, contribute military personnel to the mission. MONUSCO is a Chapter VII mission under the UN Charter, which means it is authorised to use all necessary means to carry out its protection mandate, including the effective protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence, as well as the protection of United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment. On 28 June, the mandate of the mission was extended until 30 June 2012.

The EU has also been active in supporting efforts to address ongoing instability in the DRC. Two missions are currently active in DRC as part of the European Security and Defence Policy: EUSEC, a Security Sector Reform mission supporting the Congolese authorities in the key task of providing advice and assistance for security sector reform, and EUPOL, a policing mission monitoring, mentoring and advising the Congolese police. These missions underline the EU's commitment to the Congolese people and the importance of consolidating the rule of law, security and stability in the DRC.

Successfully conducted elections are absolutely critical to the consolidation of peace and security in the DRC and in the Great Lakes Region as a whole. The current major focus of MONUSCO is to provide logistical support for the 28 November Presidential elections, with voter registration already completed in four of the eleven provinces and over 80% of registration completed in the remaining provinces. Ireland and its EU partners are investing heavily in ensuring that the forthcoming elections are successful, given the major organisational challenge they represent for a country the size of western Europe with extremely poor basic infrastructure and ongoing security problems. The EU recently confirmed that it will provide funding of €47.5 million for the elections and last month sent an EU exploratory mission to assess political and security conditions for the deployment of election observers, as was the case during the 2006 elections.

The issue of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict is of serious concern to Ireland and we have sought to address it in the context of our work on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. This Resolution, with its associated Resolution, 1820, recognises a direct relationship between the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence as an instrument of conflict and the maintenance of international peace and security. It commits the Security Council to taking action to end such atrocities and to punishing their perpetrators. In 2010, Ireland co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1888 which led to the appointment of Margot Wallström as the United Nations Secretary General's first Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Special Representative has played an important role in leading a stronger international response to this critical issue, and has taken an active interest in the situation in the DRC.

The DRC will continue to face considerable challenges in the post-election period and it will be important for the international community to remain engaged. The country ranks among the world's least developed countries, with a position of 176 out of 182 countries on the UN's 2010 Human Development Index. The EU is the largest humanitarian donor to the DRC and in 2010 gave almost €47 million through its humanitarian assistance office (ECHO) to address the needs of vulnerable populations there.

Since 2010, Ireland has disbursed more than €13 million in response to the needs of the population in the DRC. To date in 2011, Ireland has allocated a total of over €4.5 million in emergency funding to the DRC via the UN administered pooled fund and through our NGO partners. Of this €1 million has been allocated to NGO partners. With our partners in the EU and the wider international community, Ireland will continue to work to bring an end to the conflicts which persist in the DRC, to address immediate humanitarian needs, and to help develop the capacity of the Congolese state to govern and protect its people.