Written answers
Tuesday, 25 October 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
United Nations
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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349. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the details of the engagement that he has had at UN Security Council-level with regard to the ongoing crackdown on peaceful protest in Iran; his plans to raise this matter at the next meeting of the Security Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53359/22]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in Iran on 16 September, was a tragedy. The fact that she was arrested simply due to the way she was dressed understandably provoked a strong response from the Iranian people and the international community. The subsequent response by the Iranian authorities to largely peaceful protestors in Iran has been extremely concerning.
I raised my concerns on the matter directly with the Iranian Foreign Minister when I met him at the UN General Assembly in New York on 21 September and I spoke with him on the matter again by phone on 6 October. I called on Iran to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of Ms Amini’s detention and death.
In my statement of October 3, I made it clear that Iran is party to a number of important international frameworks that guarantee fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, as well as the importance of upholding the rights of women and girls. Iran must adhere to its obligations under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Given that the issue of women’s rights is at the heart of the protests in Iran, I also made it clear that Ireland puts gender issues and the empowerment of women and girls at the forefront of our foreign policy. We will continue to raise these issues in our dialogue with international partners, including Iran.
There has been a united response from the European Union on this matter. On Monday 17 October under the Iran (Human Rights) Sanctions Regime, eleven people and four entities were sanctioned by the EU for their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent response to the recent demonstrations in Iran.
On 20 October I summoned the Iranian Ambassador to Ireland and again reiterated my very serious concern about the circumstances surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini and the unjustified response of the Iranian security forces to the women and men who are protesting. I also raised my concerns for the safety and well being of the athlete Elnaz Rekabi.
When I spoke with the AmbassasdorI also urged Iran to stop supplying weaponry to Russia. Russia’s deliberate and repeated targeting of Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure is a gross violation of international law. Iran’s supply of weaponry to Russia is directly contributing to these violations.
On 19 October the UN Security Council held a meeting on Iran’s Transfer of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Russia and, the following day, the EU adopted targeted sanctions against Iranian individuals and an entity involved in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles drones and their delivery to Russia.
Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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352. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline a definitive policy position on Irish foreign aid; the role that it will play on the UN Security Council and at EU level in regards to the Horn of Africa, where drought has left the region facing catastrophe this year, placing 22 million people at risk of starvation. [53519/22]
Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s international development policy is set out in A Better World, and focuses on reaching those furthest behind through interventions aimed at reducing humanitarian need, promoting gender equality, strengthening governance, and taking action on climate change.
Last month I visited Kenya and South Sudan to witness the impact of the interlinked crises which are having a devastating impact on the Horn of Africa. The region is currently facing a fifth consecutive failed rainy reason and the worst drought in decades. Across the region, 36 million people have been affected by the drought with 22 million facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
The food security and nutrition crisis is unfolding within a wider context of political turmoil and conflict, the ongoing climate crisis, and the secondary effects of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
As focal point on hunger and conflict at the UN Security Council, Ireland has consistently highlighted the underlying causes of food insecurity and the links between conflict and hunger, together with the impact of climate change. Ireland has taken a leadership role on a number of Security Council agenda items relating to peace and security in the Horn. This has included our role as Chair of the Somalia Sanctions Committee and our efforts to address the conflict in Ethiopia. Our approach to peacekeeping and political mandates has taken into consideration the root causes of human insecurity and humanitarian need.
Ireland also continues to work through the EU to address the worst consequences of food insecurity. On 20 June, the Foreign Affairs Council approved conclusions on the Team Europe response to global food insecurity, including an endorsement of the Team Europe pledge of €1 billion in support of the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, as well as over €600 million in support of the Horn of Africa. As part of the EU Global Food Security Response, the EU has identified an overall contribution of over €5 billion in humanitarian and development assistance for global food security (covering the period 2021-2024).
At the global level, we have encouraged support to the UN Global Crisis Response Group and the FARM (Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission) initiative to mitigate the food security effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine on impacted countries. In September, Ireland pledged €50 million to counter Child Wasting over the next three years, including in the Horn of Africa
Since 2021, Ireland has contributed over €78 million in direct humanitarian support to the Horn of Africa. In the 2023 Budget announcement on 27 September, a further €30 million was made available for the crisis in Horn of Africa this year. Ireland's overall Official Development Assistance (ODA) Budget for 2023 will be over €1.2 billion, the highest level ever.
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