Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which Ireland, through its membership of the United Nations Security Council or otherwise, is making a priority list of human rights abuses on a worldwide basis, with an indication of retribution in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27796/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The human rights situation in any particular country is unique in its character, scale and complexity, and a universally agreed global list or ranking does not exist, as such. My Department can provide details in relation to individual countries of specific concern.

While we are no longer members of the UN Security Council, the promotion and protection of human rights remains a foreign policy priority and Ireland continues to advocate for respect for human rights in our bilateral, EU and multilateral engagement.

One of these avenues for engagement is the Human Rights Council, the UN's primary intergovernmental body for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights. It has responsibility for considering human rights situations of concern around the world and making recommendations, on both a country-specific and a thematic basis.

The Human Rights Council meets three times a year and it is currently in session. Some of the human rights situations that will be considered during this session include: Nicaragua, Sudan, Iran, Burundi, Myanmar, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. A wide range of thematic human rights issues will also be discussed, including discrimination against women and girls, the right to education, freedom of expression, human rights and climate change, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Ireland actively supports and engages with the work of the Human Rights Council, and will intervene in many of these country-specific and thematic dialogues, including to urge States to respect their obligations under international human rights law and to highlight cross-cutting issues, such as the need to advance gender equality.

In keeping with Ireland's long-standing promotion of human rights, in February 2023, Ireland announced its candidacy for election to the Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term. If elected, Ireland will continue to be a strong voice for the most vulnerable, championing human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons, without distinction.