Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

507. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the criticisms of the Global Island policy document, in relation to the diminished role of Irish foreign policy, pertaining to the promotion of human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8252/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Together with the Taoiseach, I launched the Government’s review of Foreign Policy The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World on 13 January 2015 at the conference organized by my Department on “Representing the Global Island”. The purpose of the review was to provide a progressive and forward looking statement of Ireland’s foreign policy written in clear and accessible language. The document includes features which communicate simply and effectively what is delivered across Government to achieve Ireland's foreign policy goals.

As I outlined in my foreword to the review, through our foreign policy we safeguard our peace, security and economic prosperity, and promote reconciliation and cooperation at home. At the core of this foreign policy are the protection of our citizens and the promotion of our values abroad. The Global Island considers the challenges and opportunities for Ireland’s foreign policy under five interconnected themes: Our People, Our Values, Our Prosperity, Our Place in Europe and Our Influence.

The Global Islandis the result of a wide-ranging process of consultation involving other Departments, State agencies, the Oireachtas, civil society and members of the public. In the coming months, I will elaborate on a series of initiatives that I intend to bring forward to implement the vision and goals set out in the review.

As highlighted in The Global Island, the commitment of Ireland to the promotion and protection of human rights is an underlying principle of Ireland's foreign policy and is a priority for the Government. We are also committed to open and constructive dialogue with Irish civil society on human rights issues, which is a highly valued and crucial aspect of the formulation of our international human rights advocacy.

The changing global environment poses new challenges and threats to human rights, which are under considerable pressure today. In The Global Island, the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the universality, indivisibility and interrelationship of all human rights in order to respond to this challenge. As stated in the review, an Inter-Departmental Committee on Human Rights will be established, chaired by a Minister of State, in order to improve the coherence of the promotion and protection of human rights in our foreign policy.

In addressing human rights concerns, we must pursue them in the most effective way, taking advantage of the most appropriate opportunities to make our case, privately or publicly, bilaterally or multilaterally, as best fits the situation. A primary approach is to engage with the international human rights machinery which has been established to monitor implementation of universal human rights standards. As a small state with a limited diplomatic network, Ireland places great value on multilateralism as a platform for raising human rights issue. This includes engaging actively at the UN Human Rights Council and in the Universal Periodic Review, the principal UN mechanism whereby the human rights record of each individual UN Member State is publicly examined by other Member States.

In addition to raising human rights concerns through multilateral channels, Ireland also raises human rights issues in our bilateral contacts. The conversations are generally conducted on a confidential basis, in line with normal diplomatic practice. I discuss human rights issues on a regular basis with Foreign Ministers from other countries, including when visiting foreign countries. I also regularly address human rights issues at Ministerial meetings at the EU level with Foreign Ministers of third countries.

Officials in my Department make Ireland's views on human rights issues clear in their contacts with officials from other governments. Irish embassies work, within the capacity of their resources and often as part of a coordinated approach, to support the work of human rights defenders and civil society organisations in third countries. This includes addressing legislative and administrative restrictions on the operation of human rights defenders, drawing on findings by human rights agencies, raising cases with third country governments and contributing to the development of human rights country strategies by the EU.

The promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms is not confined to our international human rights advocacy. Ireland's new policy on international development, 'One World One Future', reaffirms the centrality of human rights to Ireland’s foreign policy and aid programme, and commits to ensuring that human rights principles and standards are promoted, protected and integrated in all of our development efforts. Irish Aid, Ireland's overseas development programme, addresses the root causes of poverty and exclusion by focussing on the most vulnerable and investing in state institutions and independent organisations that promote human rights, governance, and democracy in developing countries, particularly in its nine Key Partner Countries across Africa and Asia.

No country is perfect when it comes to human rights. Ireland’s position on the responsibility of each government in relation to the promotion and protection of the human rights of their citizens is quite clear, and none of the countries with which we deal are in any doubt about our views in this regard.