Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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370. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 16 May 2017, if he will direct the ambassador to Brazil to visit Guarani Kaiowá communities in Mato Grosso do Sul and provide him with a report of the challenges they face; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Aty Guasu Great Council of the Guarani Kaiowá will be held from 26 August to 31 August 2017 in Takura, Mato Grosso do Sul; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that international observers are travelling to hear the concerns of the Aty Guasu; and if he will direct the ambassador to Brazil to visit this important gathering. [24409/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá people in Mato Grosso Do Sul and as I have previously outlined, officials of my Department, including those in our Embassy in Brasilia, are actively engaged with issues relating to the rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil. Consistent with this ongoing engagement, Ireland used the occasion of the 27th Session of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 5 May 2017 to express our concern at a reported 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 addition to these representations at multilateral level, officials of my Department at home and abroad engage regularly with human rights activists and civil society leaders in Latin America, including those working on indigenous rights.

Furthermore, the issue of the rights of indigenous peoples is the subject of ongoing attention by European Union Ambassadors in Brazil. 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.

With regard to the specific event to which the Deputy refers, our Embassy in Brazil will consider the feasibility of being represented, taking into account resource constraints and other pressing commitments during that period.