Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Ecuador’s Ministry of the Interior announced plans to shut down one of the country’s leading environmental groups (details supplied); and his views on the group's call for the creation of an environmental truth commission to investigate environmental destruction and violations of the rights of indigenous communities in the Cordillera del Condor and other areas affected by mining activities. [3373/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of recent developments concerning the Ecuadorian non-governmental organisation, Acción Ecológica, and of the difficult situation which currently pertains for environmental rights defenders in Ecuador and in many parts of Latin America today. Environmental degradation and the rights of indigenous communities to be consulted in regard to development projects which affect them have emerged as recurring challenges in the human rights field in the region.

I urge the Government of Ecuador to fully respect the legitimate exercise of freedom of association, as well as the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a statement in December 2016 regarding the case of Acción Ecológica, criticising the closure of the group by the Ecuadorian authorities and calling for a reversal of the decision. I support the statement made by the OHCHR, an organisation to which Ireland continues to be a leading donor.

Ireland also recently contributed €50,000 to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere. Ireland’s contribution will directly address the backlog of cases being faced by the Commission and in so doing improve the access to justice of those who face human rights violations in the Americas.

My officials will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Ecuador in consultation with our EU and UN partners.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the assassination of a person (details supplied); and if he will raise the case with his Mexican counterpart. [3374/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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My attention has been brought to the specific case to which the Deputy refers, namely the tragic killing of Mr. Isidro Baldenegro López on 15 January. Mr. Baldenegro is the second recipient of the Goldman environmental prize to be killed in the space of 12 months, and in that context I would also like to pay tribute to the memory of Berta Cáceres, the Honduran activist and Goldman prize recipient, who was killed in March 2016.

The trend towards violence against environmental rights organisations in parts of Latin America is of great concern and is being monitored closely by my Department. My officials engage regularly with civil society partners, including from the Latin American region, on these issues. I do not hesitate to condemn any intimidation or violence perpetrated against human rights defenders in Mexico or elsewhere.

On 20 January 2017, the European Union Delegation in Mexico along with the Ambassadors of EU Member States resident in Mexico, including Ireland’s Ambassador Hyland, issued a statement expressing their sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Baldenegro López and urging the Mexican authorities to make every possible effort to expedite the investigation into his murder and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Ireland and other EU Member States engage with the Mexican authorities on human rights on an ongoing basis. In particular the EU uses the High-Level Dialogue on Human Rights, the High-Level Political Dialogue and the Security and Justice Dialogue, to raise issues related to human rights, rule of law and security with the Mexican authorities in open and frank discussions.

EU Member States including Ireland are to the fore in funding projects led by national and international NGOs aimed at improving the protection of human rights in Mexico. Ireland has also provided support to civil society and missionary organisations for development projects to improve, amongst other things, the human rights situation in Mexico. In addition, since 2005 my Department has provided over €1.2 million in funding to the IACHR, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere.