Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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302. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) was recently here; and if he will contact his Brazilian counterpart to indicate his concern at the violent attacks on the Guarani-Kaiowá and his disappointment at the failure of the Brazilian Government to demarcate the Guarani-Kaiowá's ancestral territory. [22929/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Government is aware of the challenges faced by indigenous populations in parts of Latin America and regularly raises our concerns in this area in contacts with relevant Governments. I unreservedly condemn any intimidation, violence, or discrimination perpetrated against indigenous people and those seeking to defend their rights, whether in Brazil or elsewhere.

As the Deputy will be aware, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples visited Brazil in March of last year to identify and assess the main issues facing indigenous peoples there. On that occasion, the Special Rapporteur visited the Guarani-Kaiowá people in Mato Grosso Do Sul. The Special Rapporteur’s report of August 2016 recognised that Brazil has in the past been a leader in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights and has made significant achievements in this area, including in constitutional provisions protecting the rights of its indigenous people. However, the report also noted a worrying regression in the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights in recent years.

Consequently, on 5 May 2017 Ireland used the occasion of the 27th Session of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council in Geneva to express our concern at this regression in the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights in Brazil. Ireland recommended that Brazil take further steps to protect human rights defenders, including those working in relation to the rights of indigenous peoples, by ensuring impartial, thorough and effective investigations into all cases of attacks, harassment and intimidation and the prosecution of all alleged perpetrators of such offences.

In relation to the individual referred to by the Deputy, I am aware of their recent visit to Dublin. While, for scheduling reasons, it was not possible to arrange a meeting on this occasion, Departmental officials at home and abroad engage regularly with human rights activists and civil society leaders in Latin America, including those working on indigenous rights. In addition, the issue of the rights of indigenous peoples is the subject of ongoing attention by European Union Ambassadors in Brazil. In this regard, Ireland and other EU Member States strongly support the mandate of FUNAI, the government agency responsible for enforcing the rights of indigenous peoples. Together with our EU partners, we have urged the Government of Brazil to ensure that FUNAI is adequately resourced to carry out its important work.

Officials of my Department, including those in our Embassy in Brasilia, will continue to actively engage with issues surrounding human rights and the situation of indigenous peoples in Brazil such as the Guarani-Kaiowá.