Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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276. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he and his Department took to seek agreement on convening the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, Human Dimension Implementation Meeting; if he is attending the OSCE Ministerial Council on 2 and 3 December 2021 in Stockholm; if he will address this issue at that venue; the mechanism he plans to use to hold organisation member states to account for human rights commitments agreed through the organisation and other international agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58699/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland greatly values the work of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, including its human dimension. The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) is a key platform for the promotion of human rights in the OSCE region.

HDIM is an invaluable and unique forum for engagement between civil society and the participating States of the OSCE and Ireland regrets that it was not possible to hold HDIM this year. Along with our EU partners, we strongly supported the efforts of the Chairperson-in-Office to secure agreement between all participating States, and were disappointed that consensus could not be reached.

Ireland, including through our participation of the OSCE, welcomes opportunities to engage with civil society. As an EU Member State, Ireland regularly uses the institutional structures of the OSCE, including HDIM, and the weekly Permanent Council to raise issues of concern throughout the OSCE region.

Ireland will be represented by Minister of State Thomas Byrne at the annual OSCE Ministerial Council in Stockholm from 2-3 December. He will have the opportunity to reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to the comprehensive concept of security, including the integral importance of the human dimension, and to discuss these issues with our international partners.