Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of High Commissioner Bachelet’s visit to China. Ireland had repeatedly called for this visit to proceed and for full, meaningful, and unfettered access for the High Commissioner and her team.  On 13 June 2022, the High Commissioner briefed the Human Rights Council in Geneva on her engagements in China, including with government representatives. 

I regret that the authorities limited the High Commissioner's engagement with independent civil society organisations and human rights defenders, as well as her access to detention centres and so called political re-education camps in Xinjiang.

I note that Commissioner Bachelet has suggested that information from the visit will be integrated into her forthcoming report on human rights in Xinjiang. I welcome these additions, and underline that the report should be released promptly and as a matter of priority.  

Following the High Commissioner's update to the Human Rights Council, we are now assessing the outcome of the visit and are carefully considering the follow on actions proposed. Ireland’s strongly supports the Office of the High Commissioner, and the independence of her Office.

At the most recent Human Rights Council in June 2022, Ireland delivered a national statement that included a call on the Chinese authorities to respect international law, in particular in Xinjiang and Tibet. Ireland also joined a Joint Statement on China, along with 46 other countries and led by The Netherlands, which expressed grave concern about the human rights situations in Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The protection and promotion of human rights is a core pillar of Ireland's foreign policy, and Ireland will continue to monitor and assess the situation in China, including in Xinjiang. Together with our EU partners,  we will engage with Chinese authorities bilaterally and in multilateral fora to address our concerns. Ireland also encourages the early convening of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, as discussed at the April EU-China Summit.