Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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443. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps the Irish Government is taking in a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54753/22]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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453. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the measures that the Government is taking in regard to what China is doing to the Uighur people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54966/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 453 together.

The Government remains deeply concerned by evidence-based reports of human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang. Ireland welcomed publication of the report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on human rights concerns in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, published on 31 August. The report found that several human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including use of forced labour, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity. This is a serious and significant finding by a leading UN body. The Government has also taken careful note of the recent report from the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery which found it reasonable to conclude that forced labour is occurring amongst ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region.

Senior officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs raised the findings of the High Commissioner's report with their Chinese counterparts on 1 September and again on 22 September. On those occasions, they outlined Ireland’s long held position on the matter, emphasised that the report contains a number of very serious findings, and urged China to give serious consideration to the assessment and the recommendations proposed by the OHCHR. Ireland strongly supports the Office of the High Commissioner, and the independence of the Office.

On 31 October, Ireland joined 49 other UN Member States in a joint statement at the Third Committee. This statement recalled the significant findings of the High Commissioner's assessment and urged China to fulfil its international human rights commitments and implement the recommendations of the report.

Ireland also co-sponsored a resolution at the most recent session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva which called for a debate on the situation at the Council. This resolution did not pass and I regret that we will not have the opportunity to discuss the High Commissioner's assessment or the situation in Xinjiang at the next session of the Council in March. The Human Rights Council must fulfil its role in promoting respect for human rights for all, without distinction of any kind.

Ireland has supported efforts by the European Union to take action on human rights violations. On 22 March 2021, the EU listed four individuals and one entity from China for their involvement in serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EUGHRSR).

These are designed to act as a deterrent and to encourage changes in these actors’ behaviour. The sanctions are based on solid legal evidence and are deployed in addition to other measures such as dialogue.

Officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs met with the World Uyghur Congress during their unofficial visit to Ireland in February this year. Officials have also met with other Uyghur civil society groups, to ensure that Ireland has full information on the situation.

Ireland will continue to raise these issues with the Chinese authorities in our bilateral contacts and at the United Nations.