Dermot Ahern, Ministre des Affaires étrangères d'Irlande

Distinguished human rights defenders, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great honour to have this opportunity to address you. I am conscious that you are a unique audience. I know that gathered here today are men and women of real determination. Some of you have put your lives on the line for what you believe. You represent a combination of practical idealism and courage which is an inspiration to others - in your countries but also internationally. It is good that you should be here and that others of us can join both in saluting you and in debating how to advance your cause.

It is fitting that this event is taking place in Dublin. It is right too that Frontline, which has done so much to promote the cause of human rights defenders, has its base here.

I want to put on record my admiration for what Frontline has achieved since its foundation in 2001.

Frontline's advocacy and lobbying are important. They have been successful in encouraging governments to focus on this key issue. But so too is Frontline's practical direct assistance to human rights defenders. It represents an important policy partner for the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. We are also pleased to support Frontline's practical work through Development Co-operation Ireland.

I want to stress again here today that the cause of human rights defenders globally is an important aspect of Irish foreign policy. It is an essential part of what we do and will continue to be central to our activities.

I want to mention one recent example of this.

Less than a month ago in New York immediately after the UN Summit I pledged that Ireland would remain at the forefront of the drive for UN reform and renewal.

The outcome of the Summit was mixed. While it achieved some important things, we would wish it to have done much more in some areas. The commitment to establish a Human Rights Council was important, but we would have wanted a much fuller and clearer description of its composition and working methods. But in the work which is now beginning on fleshing out the bones of the Summit commitment with EU partners and others, we will be stressing our view that it is paramount that this Council should be a standing body with the ability to address serious and urgent human rights situations. In New York I emphasised that it is essential that participation in the Human Rights Council by NGOs and civil society allows them at least the same degree of access as they currently enjoy at the Commission on Human Rights. The importance of the Council's maintaining the positive attributes of the Commission on Human Rights cannot be underestimated.

The Commission on Human Rights, while it has weaknesses, created a global space for the voice of civil society. We will press for the Council to do the same.

In this regard my address in New York highlighted the role of you, the world's human rights defenders. Human Rights Defenders can call governments to account. Human Rights Defenders can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Human Rights Defenders are crucial in making human rights violations visible. In short they articulate in a special way the values contained in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Another vital feature of the Commission on Human Rights is its system of special mechanisms established to look at particular human rights situations. Again we are very keen to see this system carried over into the work of the Council.

I know that Ms Hina Jilani, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, will be with you tomorrow. Hina is a shining example of how much can be done to highlight a particular issue when a competent and committed person is appointed to a UN role. The Commission's decision to create a mandate on this topic has proven to be an enlightened one. I want to reiterate the Irish government's support for this mandate and to congratulate her on what she has achieved by putting the spotlight on those who work for the protection of the human rights of others. I look forward to seeing this mandate built upon in the coming years. We are continuing to reflect on ways to ensure that this happens.

I look forward to seeing the valuable ideas which this conference will no doubt generate in this regard.

During my recent role as Envoy of the UN Secretary General on UN reform, I was also conscious that so much of what was being discussed could be linked to your broad agenda. This agenda – the advancement of human rights – will certainly be taken forward through the establishment of a robust Human Rights Council, but also in other concrete ways.

The acknowledgment by the Summit of the international community's responsibility, acting through the Security Council, to protect those at risk of genocide or gross human rights abuses, when their own governments fail to do so, is an enormously important development in terms of principle. The essential thing is that in future situations the international community actually behaves in accordance with the principle.

The commitment to establish a Peace Building Commission to assist countries in the transition from conflict is also vital. Stability and economic development can both help in the creation of a climate where human rights are respected – though they are not in themselves sufficient. The protection of human rights can help lessen the risk of a return to conflict. Ireland has been a champion of the concept of a Peace-Building Commission since it was first mooted and we are giving particular priority to its establishment by 31 December, as mandated by the Summit.

A stronger UN is good for human rights. A stronger UN is good for human rights defenders.

This is why Ireland, together with our EU partners, remains so committed to positive and sustained engagement in the ongoing UN reform process.

Resources are more important than rhetoric. We will continue to put our money where our mouth is. For many years now we have been in the top ten voluntary donors to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and this substantial support will continue. We will also be pressing to ensure that the commitment at the Summit to double the regular budget contribution to the Office over the next five years is honoured.

We are particularly conscious of the need for special mechanisms to be better funded. They are the cutting edge of the UN's capacity to highlight specific issues. Without adequate resources they cannot cope with the massive workload which they carry.

Together with our EU partners and with much support and consultation with Frontline we put together a set of EU Guidelines for the protection of Human Rights Defenders during our EU Presidency last year. The issue was of course a longstanding human rights priority for the EU.

But our EU Presidency gave us a unique opportunity to bring the issue centre stage. We did so out of our belief that tolerance of criticism, and a willingness to see human rights abuses or deficiencies debated and exposed is fundamentally healthy and positive for society. We know that without human rights defenders many of the darkest problems in the world would never receive international attention. The way human rights defenders are treated can often be a symptom of much deeper underlying problems.

What are these EU Guidelines? They are first and foremost a provision for intervention by the Union on behalf of Human Rights Defenders. They ensure that EU Missions outside the EU will monitor, report and assess their situation. They outline the steps required to ensure that pressure on the relevant authorities, where necessary, remains high.

We are pleased to see this Irish work on human rights defenders is being consolidated and built on. The Dutch Presidency, which came immediately after ours, held an experts meeting on the subject of protecting human rights defenders and has produced a guide on implementation of the guidelines, a subject I know you will wish to discuss here also.

The UK Presidency, I believe, is focussing on Freedom of Speech in the context of Human Rights Defenders. The Presidency will also hold a forum later this year with European civil society on implementation. There will be active Irish participation at that event. Since the adoption of the Guidelines, the EU Council has appointed a special representative on Human Rights. In welcoming Mr Michael Matthiessen here today, I am pleased that he too also assures us of his commitment to seeing the Guidelines implemented.

The Guidelines also state the need to remember that supporting human rights defenders must come within a broader policy on human rights. They specifically outline the need for a policy that assists the development of democratic processes and institutions and the overall promotion of human rights.

A particular concern which has also been highlighted by Hina Jilani in her reports is the trend for some to label human rights defenders as terrorists. In addition, the abduction of, and threats against, journalists who highlight Human Rights abuses continues in many parts of the world. The particular situation of women human rights defenders is also an important concern and we were pleased to welcome, in association with Frontline, some leading women human rights defenders at my Department's annual NGO forum last December.Before closing I'd like to highlight the situation of several human rights defenders who had been invited by Frontline to attend this Conference but have been prohibited by their authorities from travelling. I greatly regret this. This conference would have benefited significantly from their input. I would call on all governments to guarantee free speech and freedom of movement, in particular to their human rights defenders.

However there is one particular good news story I want to share with you. I am delighted to see that Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, Chairperson of the Sudan Social Development Organization, is with us today. Dr Mudawi was the winner of the inaugural Frontline human rights defenders award earlier this year.

Unfortunately he was detained ahead of a planned visit to Ireland to receive the award. In his absence President McAleese presented the award to his wife and daughter.

We were pleased to intervene on his behalf, along with others, and we were delighted by his subsequent release. I want to pay tribute to his courage and optimism and to offer him a special welcome here today. The situation of those other human rights defenders who cannot participate with us today is one of the reasons why the Irish government will continue to ensure that the EU Guidelines are implemented to the fullest extent possible. We already work closely with Frontline to ensure that that is the case. Finally, most of you here are either human rights defenders or work closely with or for them. Your work is arduous and stressful. I wish you all the best in the next few days of discussion.

But I also wish you an enjoyable stay here in Ireland and hope that it will be a refreshing respite for those of you who need it as well as a good learning experience. I hope that you have some chance to experience some of the pleasures of Dublin and bring home fond memories of this event.