Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he has challenged authorities in any of the countries identified as the top ten for persecution of Christians in the World Watch List 2015 compiled by Open Doors International and has sought protection for Christians living in these countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2600/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Ireland condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who are the victims, and attaches great importance to combating all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, and freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. Ireland is deeply concerned by the persecution of Christians, including in those countries identified in Open Doors International’s World Watch List 2015.

Where possible, Ireland raises the issue of the safety of Christians through its official bilateral contacts with the countries in question, stressing the responsibility of the government to protect all citizens and minorities. Irish diplomats work with governments and civil society organisations across the globe to protect fundamental rights, and engage with Christian communities in their regions, working with the leaders of these communities to discuss problems they experience and assist in bringing their concerns to the attention of national authorities. We consistently press for effective action to counter the persecution of minorities in all relevant international fora, including the EU and UN. I highlighted the issue when I addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on 29 September 2014. I also raised it during my meeting with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

Ireland works within and alongside the EU to address the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, notably with the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief adopted during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013. These Guidelines provide EU officials with an overview of the legal and policy framework within which the right to freedom of religion or belief is protected.

Ireland seeks protection for religious minorities, including Christians, through resolutions on freedom of religion or belief tabled at both the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, of which Ireland is currently a member. Ireland is an active participant in the negotiation of these resolutions. The EU-led resolutions on freedom of religion or belief were most recently successfully adopted without a vote by the Human Rights Council in March 2014, and by the UN General Assembly during its 69th session in December 2014. Ireland also raised concerns in relation to persecution on the basis of religion or belief in interactive dialogues with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion during the 69th session of the Third Committee in 2014.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique peer review mechanism whereby the human rights records of individual states are reviewed in the UN Human Rights Council. Ireland is an active participant in the UPR, and where applicable, raises concerns in relation to persecution on the basis of religion or belief during the dialogue with states under review. Ireland has raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief at the review sessions of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Eritrea, each of which feature on the above-referenced list.

Ireland is committed to ensuring that all human rights principles and standards are promoted, protected and integrated in all of our development efforts. Ireland’s policy for international development, One World, One Futurereaffirms the centrality of human rights to Ireland’s aid programme. Irish Aid supports a number of NGOs working on human rights issues in Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. Irish Aid supports the NGO UPR Infoin its work in Eritrea, building the capacity of civil society organisations to engage with the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review process and to influence key decisions and policies. Irish Aid supports Concern Worldwide in its work in Somalia, which includes a focus on human rights, and the International Federation of Human Rights in Sudan in its work helping human rights defenders to access United Nations human rights mechanisms.

While the security situation in Nigeria is complex and involves a highly diverse range of actors (insurgents, militants, religious cultists, farmers and nomadic herdsmen, criminals, etc.), the Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram poses a continued threat to political stability in Nigeria. Thousands of civilians have been attacked, abducted or killed in the Borno and Yobe states of north-eastern Nigeria in a series of well-orchestrated, brutal attacks. Ireland’s position on Boko Haram is very clear and has been consistently re-stated; Ireland condemns unreservedly the violent activities of Boko Haram against all Nigerians, whether Christian, Muslim or otherwise, and urges the Nigerian authorities to take all appropriate steps to fulfil their obligations to protect their citizens and maintain law and order throughout Nigeria.

Recent months have seen a serious deterioration in the situation faced by minorities, including Christians, across the Middle East region which is cause for great concern. This is most obviously evident in the extreme brutality and lawlessness demonstrated by ISIS in Iraq and in Syria which is utterly abhorrent and unacceptable. Threats and violence aimed at minority communities, including Christians and Yazidis, are intolerable, wherever they occur. The descent of Syria into violence and disarray has left small Christian communities very exposed and sometimes subject to direct attack. The spread of violence and extremism in Iraq is a matter of very serious concern for the Iraqi people and for the security and stability of the region. The protection of fundamental rights for all communities in Syria, Iraq and across the wider Middle East, including Christian communities, many of whom are faced with rising intolerance and threats, is integral to Ireland’s engagement with these countries and societies.

Ireland raises the issue of the safety of Christians through its official bilateral contacts with the countries in question, stressing the responsibility of the government to protect minorities. The protection of Middle Eastern Christian communities is discussed in the relevant European and multilateral fora as well as in our bilateral relations with Middle Eastern states. Irish diplomats work with governments and civil society organisations to protect fundamental rights in the Middle East, and engage with Christian communities in the region, working with the leaders of these communities to discuss problems experienced by these communities and assist in bringing their concerns to the attention of national authorities. It should be noted that many of these groups request that any efforts made on their behalf be carried out very discreetly, as any special attention from western countries might increase their difficulties.

With respect to Iran, some Christian denominations are subject to persecution and this is a cause of continuing concern. This relates principally to some specific Christian groups, notably evangelicals. Some other religious minorities also face persecution. It should be acknowledged however that other Christian denominations, such as the substantial Armenian Christian community in Iran, are specifically tolerated and protected, to a certain extent, under the Iranian Constitution. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran has estimated that there were, as of January 2014, 307 members of religious minorities in detention in Iran, of whom 50 were Christians. He details a worrying pattern of persecution faced by Christians and other religious minorities and suggests that converts from Muslim backgrounds are most commonly prosecuted. The UN Secretary General’s report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014 on the subject of human rights in Iran noted there had been no improvements in the situation of religious minorities, who continue to face violations of their rights which are entrenched in law and in practice.

Ireland has repeatedly addressed the human rights situation in its bilateral contacts with Iran and in the relevant international fora. In September 2014, at the UN Human Rights Council, Ireland expressed concerns about the persecution of some Christian and other religious minorities and our hope that the stated intention of Iran to improve human rights protection, an intention which we welcomed, will include these minority groups. These concerns are also relayed directly to the Iranian Ambassador and Embassy on all appropriate occasions. In addition, my Department participated in the recent Universal Periodic Review of Iran which took place at the Human Rights Council in October 2014, where we voiced our concerns in relation to the situation of religious minorities.

The report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2014 details an appalling array of human rights abuses, including an almost complete denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The Commission found that the State considers the spread of Christianity a particularly serious threat, and that, apart from the few organized State-controlled churches, Christians are prohibited from practising their religion and are persecuted. On the basis of this report, the EU and Japan led a landmark resolution at the UN General Assembly in late 2014 which calls for the Security Council to refer DPRK to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. The resolution was adopted by a strong majority of the UN General Assembly. Ireland supported this UN resolution.

Ireland supports continuing efforts to develop Afghanistan into a peaceful, democratic nation, based on respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights of Afghan women, and respect for the rule of law. Afghanistan has been and remains beset by huge security and economic challenges, which has impacted on the domestic human rights situation, including the situation of Christians, who are in a small minority. The EU has expressed concern at the UN Human Rights Council over the notable gaps and challenges in the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.

During the past decade Ireland has contributed to international efforts aimed at assisting Afghanistan in realising its ambition of building a stable, democratic and prosperous society for all of the Afghan population. Over the years we have provided police, military and civilian experts to the international peace support missions. As the focus of international engagement has now moved from military to civilian-led engagement, Ireland’s contribution to building a secure and stable environment will focus on training, capacity-building initiatives and support for civilian policing. Ireland has also provided consistent support for humanitarian and development programmes in Afghanistan, including €47 million in funding since 2005.

Ireland’s diplomatic relations with Pakistan are maintained by secondary accreditation via our Embassy in Ankara. The Ambassador of Ireland accredited to Pakistan has conveyed the concerns of the Irish people about the persecution of Christians in Pakistan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on a number of occasions, most recently in November 2014. Officials in my Department have also raised our concerns regarding the blasphemy laws and persecution of Christians generally, with the Embassy of Pakistan in Dublin.

The EU adopted a 5 year engagement plan with Pakistan in 2012. This plan aims to build a strategic EU-Pakistan relationship by forging a partnership for peace and development rooted in shared values, principles and commitments. The EU engages in regular dialogue with Pakistan on human rights and democratic principles, and has called on the Pakistani authorities, at the highest level, to adopt measures to protect individual and minority rights in line with its Constitution and with international human rights standards and conventions. The fifth meeting of the EU-Pakistan Joint Commission, which reviews EU-Pakistan bilateral relations annually, met in Islamabad on 24 June 2014. The EU, while acknowledging efforts of the Government of Pakistan to strengthen human rights infrastructure in the country, expressed its concern on a number of human rights issues including freedom of the media, freedom of religion and belief and the situation of women. The EU Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR), Mr Stavros Lambrinidis, paid an official visit to Pakistan from 26 to 29 October 2014. This visit provided opportunities for in-depth dialogue between the EU and Pakistan on key human rights issues. The EUSR discussed the importance of implementing domestic laws to address major human rights challenges, including freedom of religion and belief and applications and misuse of blasphemy laws.

I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to actively support freedom of religion or belief across our foreign policy and monitor the situation of Christians worldwide.