Written answers

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Foreign Conflicts

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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111. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the assistance the State is giving at European Union and United Nations levels to combat the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and its attacks against children and members of religious minorities; the steps he is taking to highlight and stop murderous attacks on Christian communities in the Middle East and Africa; if he has raised this matter at European Councils and in the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16897/15]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The international community is responding to the very considerable threat which ISIS poses, not just to the Middle East but to us all. In Ireland’s case, we are working closely with our partners in the EU and through the United Nations to coordinate our efforts and to strengthen the tools at our disposal.

A special meeting of the European Council on 30 August 2014 called for accelerated implementation of a package of measures agreed in June 2013 concerning four priority areas: prevention of radicalization, detection of suspicious travel, investigation and prosecution and cooperation with third countries.

Counter-terrorism was most recently discussed by Foreign Affairs Council on 19 January and 9 February 2015. The February Council called for comprehensive action against terrorism in full compliance with international law, fundamental values and international human rights standards. It decided to step up, as a matter of urgency, external action on countering terrorism and to this end it agreed detailed conclusions under five headings. These headings concerned: strengthening partnerships with key countries, supporting capacity building, countering radicalisation and violent extremism, promoting international cooperation and addressing underlying factors and ongoing crises.

Discussions by Foreign Ministers on external measures are complemented by those of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on internal EU security. The issue has featured regularly on the agenda of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers. Following their meeting in Riga on 29 and 30 January 2105, JHA Ministers issued a joint statement with wide ranging conclusions on measures to prevent and combat terrorism.

The informal European Council on 12 February 2015 took account of the discussions and conclusions of the February FAC and the Riga statement. In their statement, EU Heads of State and Government set out a range of priorities to guide further work by both Council formations. These priorities were set out under three headings: ensuring the security of citizens, preventing radicalisation and safeguarding values, and cooperating with our international partners.

These measures at EU level are consistent with the approach set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014) which 104 States, including Ireland, co-sponsored last September in New York. This Resolution urges that all countries actively commit to countering the radicalisation, recruitment and participation of their citizens as foreign terrorist fighters in the conflict zones of Syria and Iraq.

The Resolution takes a comprehensive, human rights compliant approach to tackling the foreign fighters problem in accordance with international law. It highlights the need to tackle the underlying causes of radicalisation through community outreach initiatives, while at the same time focusing on strengthening legal and security measures. This comprehensive strategy in the Resolution is very much in line with Ireland’s approach to the issue.

Ireland also participated actively in New York in June 2014 in the Fourth Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which reiterated that terrorism is unacceptable in all its forms, requiring practical steps to prevent and combat it. Those practical steps include measures ranging from strengthening state capacity to counter terrorist threats to better coordinating United Nations system’s counter-terrorism activities.

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. 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 addressthe 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. They also elaborate an EU strategy on how to engage with third countries on the right to freedom of religion or belief, a strategy which we hope to see bear fruit as we assess the implementation of the Guidelines.

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