Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Question 40: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail any initiatives with which he has been involved at head of State or Government level concerning the promotion of respect for human rights. [16228/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Government attaches a very high priority to the promotion and protection of human rights in both our domestic and our foreign policy. Ireland is currently involved in two major projects which are centred on human rights: our campaign for election to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2013 to 2015 term, and the review of our domestic human rights record by the Human Rights Council.

The Human Rights Council is the UN's principal human rights body. It is composed of forty-seven member States which are elected by the member States of the UN General Assembly. It is mandated to address violations of human rights; to make recommendations to the UN General Assembly in relation to international human rights law; to promote the full implementation of human rights obligations undertaken by States; and to undertake a Universal Periodic Review of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations.

Ireland has over many decades enjoyed a high profile and standing at the UN; we have had a particular emphasis on human rights issues in this context; and our candidature for Human Rights Council membership is an integral part of the Government's strategy for restoring Ireland's international profile and rebuilding our reputation abroad. This is our first time to seek election to the Council. If we succeed, we will able to play a much fuller role in safeguarding and advancing human rights around the world.

The first examination by the Human Rights Council, under its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, of Ireland's domestic human rights record took place in Geneva on 6 October 2011. The UPR process is an extremely valuable contribution to raising standards and increasing awareness of human rights on a global level. It is a unique process whereby the domestic human rights records of each of the UN's Member States are reviewed every four years.

Ireland's delegation to the UPR review was led by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter, T.D. The Report of the Working Group on Ireland's Universal Periodic Review was formally adopted by the Human Rights Council on 15 March 2012. Of the 127 recommendations made by Member States, Ireland was able to fully accept 91 recommendations, to accept in part a, further 17, and was only unable to accept 19. Ireland's next review will take place in four years time when we will be asked to report on our implementation of the recommendations.

Human rights issues are also a central focus of Ireland's Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during 2012. In OSCE terminology, the term human dimension is used to describe the set of norms and standards related to human rights, democracy and the rule of law that are regarded within the OSCE as one of three dimensions of a comprehensive approach to security. I have been active in promoting the OSCE's human dimension commitments since assuming the Chairmanship-in-Office on 1 January 2012, including in addresses to OSCE participating States and to outside bodies such as the UN Security Council and the U.S. Helsinki Commission in Washington D.C. Ireland will oversee a series of human dimension events during 2012, including an event on Internet Freedom in Dublin on 18-19 June 2012.

In addition to our work in multilateral fora, the promotion of respect for human rights informs our approach to our bilateral relationships. In September 2011, I launched a new Africa Strategy which sets out our priorities for engagement with the countries of sub-Saharan Africa over the period ahead and emphasises our aim of strengthening political engagement between Ireland and the European Union and the countries of that region in the pursuit of a number of policy aims, including the promotion of human rights.