Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

13. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason two of Irish Aid's key partner countries, Ethiopia and Zambia, have so far failed to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and if the Ethiopian and Zambian governments have outlined a timetable in which they will work towards ratifying the OPAC. [30765/13]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2000, focuses on the involvement of children in armed conflict in an effort to strengthen implementation of the Convention and increase the protection of children during armed conflicts. The Protocol became legally binding on 12 February 2002 and, to date, more than 100 countries, including Ireland, have ratified it. The Protocol requires States which ratify the Convention to “take all feasible measures” to ensure that any members of their armed forces under the age of 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities.

The two countries to which the Deputy refers, Zambia and Ethiopia, have already signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They have also signed the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. However, neither country has yet ratified the Protocol, or established a specific timeframe for such ratification.

In both countries, the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, has raised the issue of ratification with the relevant authorities, and will continue to do so, with the support of our Embassies in Addis Ababa and Lusaka. Ethiopia and Zambia are both key partner countries for Ireland's development assistance programme, where we have a commitment to long term strategic assistance. In keeping with our partnership approach, I have asked our Ambassadors to raise the issue of the Optional Protocol with the authorities in both countries and to encourage them to ratify it.

Ireland continues to engage on the protection of children's rights including through the core work of the Irish Aid programme. The central priority of our aid programme is the elimination of extreme poverty and the fight to end hunger and under-nutrition. We are also implementing major programmes to improve child and maternal health and increase access to and quality of education, including in Ethiopia and Zambia. More generally, Ireland is a strong contributor to the work of UNICEF.

In Ireland's new policy for international development, “One World, One Future,” we have pledged to increase our engagement on the issue of children in armed conflict, and we are actively examining options for strengthened action in this area.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

14. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the high rates of gender based violence in Sierra Leone; the specific projects and programmes Irish Aid are implementing and supporting, to assist the survivors of gender based violence and tackle this pervasive human rights abuse, in Irish Aid’s newest Key Partner Country. [30764/13]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Sierra Leone’s protracted civil war, in which 50,000 people died, fostered widespread abuse of human rights. Women suffered the brunt of the conflict, and experienced some of the most horrific acts of violence during the war. While Sierra Leone has made considerable progress towards peace and sustainable development since the end of the war in 2002, the country continues to suffer from a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence. The most common forms of gender-based violence in Sierra Leone are domestic violence, sexual assault, physical violence against women and girls, female genital mutilation, and early and forced marriage.

The Government of Sierra Leone is making solid progress towards protecting, promoting and fulfilling human rights, and developing systems of good governance in terms of institutions and laws. The Government has established a Human Rights Commission and an Anti Corruption Commission, and has passed laws against sexual offences, domestic violence and child abuse. A national gender strategic plan and an action plan on gender-based violence are in place. However, implementation of these laws and strategies is, as yet, limited due in large part to resourcing and capacity challenges faced by the Government.

Gender-based violence is a significant contributory factor to poverty and ill-health worldwide and prevents many people, the vast majority of whom are women, from reaching their potential. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government is one of the key drivers behind the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence in which former President Mary Robinson plays such a prominent role. Tackling gender-based violence is a priority for Ireland’s aid programme, including in its newest Key Partner Country, Sierra Leone.

Since 2006, Ireland has provided over €2.1 million to the International Rescue Committee for its gender-based violence and women’s empowerment programme in Sierra Leone. I had the opportunity to visit this programme while in Sierra Leone last year and saw first-hand how Ireland’s contribution is helping to support activities focused on prevention of gender-based violence through awareness raising and training of women, school-children, and men, and economic empowerment of women. Our support has also allowed the International Rescue Committee to engage with the Government of Sierra Leone in order to build capacity of the Ministry for Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and to advocate for increased attention to issues affecting women and girls.

Ireland is also providing €1.4 million to the United Nations Development Programme for its programme, which seeks to improve the access to justice for gender-based violence survivors in Sierra Leone.

Ireland is committed to supporting the recovery efforts and successful transition of countries emerging from conflict or significant and protracted humanitarian crises. The recent announcement that Sierra Leone will become one of Irish Aid’s nine Key Partner Countries is testament to this commitment. Ireland will further strengthen its support for long-term reconstruction and development in Sierra Leone, working in close collaboration with the Sierra Leonean Government and other partners such as United Nations agencies and NGOs.