Speech by Minister McEntee "Consistent and Committed. Ireland’s membership of the Human Rights Council" - Iveagh House

Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen Mc Entee, at the Human Rights Forum 18 February 2025, Iveagh House

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A Dhaoine Uaisle,

A Chairde,

Is mór an onóir dom a bheith anseo libh.

UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor:

Chief Commissioner of IHREC, Liam Herrick,

Distinguished panellists, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It’s a real pleasure to be here with you today and to close this latest session of the Human Rights Forum.

The Forum has taken as its theme our campaign logo for election to the Human Rights Council: Consistent and Committed.

For over 20 years, this Forum has met, providing a safe and welcoming space for Irish civil society active in human rights.

This unique format allows Irish civil society to come together with officials working on human rights, and on development, to discuss and debate human rights today.

And, together, forge a genuine partnership on Ireland’s international human rights policies.

I want to make clear that Ireland will continue to be a strong, consistent voice for human rights, inclusion and partnership.

Human rights remain at the heart of our foreign policy and our commitment to defending human rights defenders is unwavering.

This is why, at this difficult time for international law, for the United Nations system and for human rights, Ireland is stepping forward to take up the responsibility of membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders

Dear friends

We’re meeting at a difficult time globally. International law, the UN system and the broader human rights framework are under real pressure. Ireland has an impactful role to play.

This is drawn from our own history.

Over the past century, vibrant civic engagement has helped shape Ireland’s democracy, supported peace on this island and driven social and economic progress. That experience shapes how we engage internationally today.

This is why protection and promotion of civil society space, and of the rights of human rights defenders to carry out their work in safety and security, will be one of our 5 priorities for our time on the Human Rights Council.

Civil society, and the vital work of Human Rights Defenders, is crucial in our collective efforts to promote and protect human rights at the domestic, regional and international levels.

This will also guide my priorities for our upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union where we will take forward work on the EU’s new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy.

With this in view, and following his visit to Ireland in October last, Ireland, with Slovenia, ensured that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, would meet with EU Foreign Ministers at the Foreign Affairs Council, enabling a high level discussion at EU level on the current crisis in human rights funding and action,

A Chairde

For over 80 years, the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have given our world a framework for the conduct of international relations, and for individuals to live a life free from fear and non-discrimination.

It was far from perfect as we know all too well.

Many conflicts, appalling injustices and tragedies still occurred, including yet again the horrors of atrocity crimes and other crimes against humanity.

Yet the bedrock of international law constituted by the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remained unchallenged.

States engaged with and responded to human rights concerns expressed by others.

Accountability for egregious human rights violations was pursued.

International courts and mechanisms were created to deal with them.

The UN Security Council functioned adequately, and unlawful use of force to achieve political ends was sanctioned.

Progress was slow, but it happened.

The International rules based order prevailed.

In the changed global context we are currently witnessing. In the face of consistent attempts to undermine international law and the rules based order, I want to assure you that Ireland will continue to maintain our steadfast, committed and consistent support to promote and protect fundamental human rights.

Gender Equality

This includes with respect to gender equality and women’s human rights where we have also made enormous strides, and where attempts to undermine this progress is increasingly problematic.

As Ireland’s first female Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and as Minister for Defence, I am personally deeply committed to progress in this area. Throughout my time in politics and as a Minister, advancing gender equality, and in particular the fight against gender based violence, has been a priority for me.

I welcome that Ireland has published its 4th National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and look forward to strong implementation of this key public policy.

I am pleased to see Gender Equality reflected as one of our 5 priorities for our Human Rights Council membership.

Since the ground-breaking adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, over 30 years ago, progress on women’s rights globally, across all the 12 areas agreed at Beijing, has been immense, including in Ireland.

This includes women’s access to employment, equal pay, increased political representation, improved access to education, and legal reforms in many countries to promote the realisation of women’s rights and equality.

We are proud to have co-facilitated, with St. Kitts and Nevis, the successful process to revitalize the Commission on the Status of Women last year.

While there has been immense positive change, I am also acutely aware of the contexts in which women and girl’s rights have regressed and that there is a strong effort underway globally to reverse the gains that have been made in women’s autonomy and empowerment.

I want to highlight here the situation of Afghan women and girls, who are enduring an unparalleled system of oppression and discrimination.

This concern for Afghanistan’s women is in line with Ireland’s international development policy, A Better World, which establishes gender equality as one of four core policy priorities.

Ireland itself has also been on a journey with regard to women’s rights.

We have learnt lessons from dark chapters in our own past where vulnerable women’s voices were ignored and silenced.

We now have strong laws against sexual violence, protection for victims in the courts process, and a zero tolerance strategy to domestic violence and new convictions for coercive control.

I am proud of the progress we have made, but we are not blind to the work that needs to be done. Domestic and gender based violence is widespread, while appalling conflict related sexual and gender based violence is reaching unprecedented levels, including in Sudan, the DRC, and in Haiti.

I am glad to reiterate here that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls remains a central priority for the Government – in principle and as an absolute pre-requisite for any progress on sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger.

I welcome the recent launch of the new National Strategy for Women and Girls by my colleague Minister Foley, and look forward to development of a strong action plan supporting it.

Ireland has a longstanding reputation as a leader on gender equality on the international stage.

We are ranked by the OECD DAC as among the member countries with the highest share of Official Development Assistance with gender equality objectives.

We fund interventions directly dedicated to supporting women’s political and economic empowerment; prioritising girls’ access to quality education; addressing gender based violence; and improving women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health care and rights.

We are deeply committed to the full realization of SDG 5 on Gender Equality.

We will use the opportunity of Ireland’s membership of the Council to highlight our strong commitment to women’s rights and gender equality, and to continue upholding and sustaining women’s rights against the forces seeking to undermine them.

LGBTIQ+ Rights

Human rights must apply equally to everyone – that principle is fundamental.

The preamble to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, adopted over 75 years ago, sets out that:

“Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in world”.

Article 2 of the Declaration goes on to state that:

“Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind”.

One of the most visible realizations of the rights enshrined in the Declaration in more recent times, along with the important gains in women’s rights and status, has been the steady progress, internationally and within nations, of the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals.

Last year, in Ireland we celebrated 10 years since the Yes vote on the Marriage Equality Referendum.

This was a truly unique moment in our history,

I know that some of you who were leaders and active in that civil society led campaign, as well as the campaign to repeal the 8th amendment, are present here today.

Yet, as with other hard won gains, progress on LGBTIQ+ rights has stalled while an active, well-funded and organized campaign works actively to roll back these hard won gains for non-discrimination and universal human rights.

This is not just to stop much-needed progress in an area of rights where discrimination, criminalization and violence are still widespread.

But also to roll back normative and legislative progress where this has been achieved.

We have seen that the rights we have come to enjoy, and even take for granted, can be overturned and taken away.

It is imperative that we join with others and work to ensure that our human rights are upheld and sustained.

Ireland is proud of our commitment to LGBTIQ+ rights.

We believe we have an important experience to share and, because our journey is a recent one, we can do so in an inclusive and non-judgemental voice.

If elected, we will use our voice on the Council to defend and uphold LGBTIQ+ rights.

And we will continue to do so within the European Union, to ensure that the universality and indivisibility of human rights remain a core value for the Union’s external action.

The Right to Food.

Ireland has long upheld the right to development, and the equality of civil and political rights with economic, social and cultural ones.

Globally, we are witnessing rising food insecurity and malnutrition, driven by broader crises resulting from conflict, climate change and economic and geopolitical dynamics.

As a nation who has experienced a history of famine, we are acutely aware of the consequences of food insecurity.

The fight against hunger and malnutrition, with particular emphasis on women and children, is a cornerstone of Irish foreign policy and our international development programme.

Ireland recognises the human right to adequate food, and the fundamental right to be free from hunger in line with relevant provisions in international law.

We have viewed with deep concern the apparent denial of the right to food in recent conflicts, with famine or near famine conditions being reported in Yemen, Sudan, Myanmar and Gaza.

A rights-based approach to food and nutrition security requires action in multiple areas which we are committed to taking.

Ireland will use its membership of the Human Rights Council to advance global food security and nutrition and support initiatives to protect and promote the right to adequate food.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Armed Conflict

I am happy to see that James Casserly has been a panellist at today’s Forum, taking part in the session on Human Rights Defenders.

Thank you James, for sharing your insights with us as we look to highlight and shine a focus on the human rights of persons with disabilities in armed conflict.

Ireland’s “Furthest Behind First” development policy has long had a focus on the often neglected need for inclusion of persons with disabilities in effective humanitarian action in armed conflict.

We have witnessed appalling examples of both active mistreatment and cruelty to persons with disabilities in recent conflicts, as well as the more general challenge of inclusion and neglect of their humanitarian needs in times of crisis.

In too many conflicts today – whether it be in Ukraine, Sudan or Palestine - as in those past, we see civilians and combatants suffer amputation.

Ireland recognises disability inclusion as a right, first and foremost.

If elected, we will focus our efforts on systematically addressing the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in conflict settings, with a focus on protection, access to humanitarian assistance and the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their respective organisations, in conflict resolution and peace building.

A Chairde

These priorities will guide us in our campaign and, we hope, during our Council membership.

They are underpinned by a deep commitment to the universality of human rights and to international law.

We have chosen these priorities because, now more than ever, the centrality of civil society to our work cannot be overstated.

Ensuring equality and true diversity strengthens us all.

Ireland is, and will continue to be, a consistent voice and committed partner for human rights.

Never has there been a greater need for the international human rights system.

Ireland will continue to be a friend, an advocate and a vigorous voice for human rights, and for those who defend human rights around the world.

I look forward to working together with you, as we continue our Human Rights Council journey.

Go raibh maith agaibh go leir.