Written answers

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Human Rights

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

39. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the ambassador to Colombia has concluded their visit to La Guajira and a region (details supplied) to carry out fact finding work; if he has received a report from the ambassador on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46949/19]

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

40. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his officials have recently contacted the ESB regarding its continued purchasing of coal from a mine (details supplied); his plans in relation to a national plan for business and human rights; and his views on reported human rights abuses and environmental degradation in the region due to the mine and the importation of coal from same to here. [46950/19]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together.

The associated issues of environmental degradation and human rights abuses are widespread problems across Latin America. Our new Embassy in Bogotá has been engaging on these issues in Colombia, including in La Guajira and has maintained regular contact with all relevant stakeholders in order to gain a greater understanding of the circumstances and issues that have been raised previously with regard to the Cerrejón mine.

I remain concerned at reports of the activities of the mine having a detrimental impact on the environment and on local communities. Taking into account security and other considerations, a visit by the Embassy to the Department of La Guajira, where the Cerrejón mine is located, was possible in late September 2019. The visit took place on 23 and 24 September and was led by Ireland's Ambassador to Colombia, Ms Alison Milton.

The programme included a tour of the mine itself, which was also attended by NGOs and local-community groups, as well as meetings with all stakeholders involved with the Cerrejón mine, including Cerrejón management, local communities, local government, religious leaders, academics and NGOs, including the local human rights group Fuerzas Mujeres Wayuu.

The La Guajira region has a near-majority indigenous population (over 40% compared to 3.4% nationally), the largest of which is the Wayuu people, who number around 270,000 and for whom the exploitation of La Guajira’s natural resources is a major grievance as they maintain a deep spiritual and ancestral connection to the land. It is also one of Colombia’s poorest regions, where the needs of local communities are acute.

The mine generates almost half of the region’s income and is one of its largest employers providing over 13,000 jobs. While the mine owners attest to their compliance with local and international standards, challenges exist in relation to local governance, leading to a lack of trust between the local authorities, local communities and the mine.

The Embassy has reported on the range and complexity of issues, not least evolving public opinion in relation to the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels, and concluded that efforts should be made to improve communication between the local communities and the mine, and to include the local community in plans for closure of the mine by 2033.

The Embassy will hold meetings with national Government, with national and international NGO partners, and with Cerrejón management in order to share feedback on the visit. Some of these meetings have already taken place.

As I have indicated previously, I wrote to the ESB in September requesting further information regarding the ESB's sourcing of coal from Cerrejón. I received a response in October in which the ESB outlined a recent assessment of the mine carried out by Bettercoal.

Bettercoal is an organisation established by major coal buyers to ensure coal is being sourced via responsible supply chains, which the ESB joined in 2014. This assessment indicates that the Cerrejón mine's operating principles are essentially in line with the Bettercoal best practice code. Bettercoal has made a number of recommendations to Cerrejón for improvement and increased compliance, on which the mine has been actively engaging. 

Addressing the risks of adverse impacts of business activities on human rights is a priority of this Government. Ireland is one of only 22 countries worldwide that has adopted a national action plan on Business and Human Rights to give effect to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 

Since its launch at the end of 2017, my Department has implemented a number of key commitments including the establishment of the Business and Human Rights Implementation Group, to oversee progress on delivery of the Plan and the completion of an independent baseline assessment of the current legislative and regulatory framework for business and human rights in Ireland.  Both the National Plan and the baseline assessment are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website. Work is now proceeding on the formation of three sub-groups, each tasked with prioritising and delivering key actions under the three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles, namely, the State duty to protect, corporate responsibility to respect and access to remedy.

My Department will continue to monitor developments on this matter closely and to engage with all relevant stakeholders.

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

41. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made representations to his Spanish and French counterparts or ambassadors in relation to 349 Basque prisoners who were members of ETA, which has been on ceasefire for some considerable time and who are held in various prisons outside of the Basque country, to have these returned to the Basque country; if he has spoken to the Spanish authorities regarding the experiences of the peace process here in relation to the importance of prisoner issues being dealt with to cement the peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46960/19]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The placement of a State’s nationals within its prison system is a matter for the Government and the relevant competent authorities of that State, in accordance with domestic, European and international law. As such, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the matter in question.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.