Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the reservation or interpretative declaration in relation to Article 4 of the International Convention on All Forms of Racial Discrimination; his plans to withdraw this reservation or interpretative declaration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25766/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Ireland signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1968 and ratified it in December, 2000 whereupon it became binding on Ireland in international law. At the time of ratification of the Convention, a reservation/interpretative declaration was entered in relation to Article 4 of the Convention.

The declaration (i) notes that the measures described in Article 4(a), (b) and (c) shall be undertaken with due regard to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights set forth in Article 5 of the Convention and (ii) states that Ireland considers that through the measures described in Article 4, the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to peaceful assembly and association may not be jeopardised.

According to the United Nations Treaty Collection website, http://treaties.un.org , a number of other States Parties have made similar declarations.

I have no immediate plans to propose withdrawing Ireland's reservation/interpretative declaration on Article 4 of the Convention.