Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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436. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the main locations for human rights abuses worldwide have been identified by the United Nations or the European Union; the action that has been taken in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15001/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The promotion and protection of human rights is a key foreign policy priority for Ireland and consequently we are a strong contributor to strengthening efforts by the United Nations and European Union to eliminate human rights violations.

The Human Rights Council has a primary role within the United Nations system to promote and protect human rights globally and to address situations of human rights violations. In 2021 the Human Rights Council, in addition to its three regular schedule of meetings, also held five special sessions to address urgent crises in: Myanmar; the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Israel; Afghanistan; Sudan; and Ethiopia. The current 49^thsession of the Human Rights Council included an urgent debate on the Russian invasion of Ukraine before adopting a resolution to establish a commission to investigate violations of human rights.

Likewise, Ireland’s membership of the United Nations Security Council provides an important opportunity to advance our foreign policy priorities, including the promotion and protection of human rights across many of the countries featuring on the Council’s agenda.  

At European Union (EU) level, Ireland is an active participant and contributor to the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, which works globally to support the preservation of peace, the prevention of conflicts and the strengthening of international security. Human rights issues feature prominently at the meetings I attend at the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

In addition, my officials engage extensively on human rights issues at the relevant Council-level working parties including on the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which strengthens the EU’s ability to take collective action against perpetrators of human rights violations.

As always, I will be pleased to provide further detail in relation to individual countries of specific concern.