Human Rights Council 36th Session (11-29 September 2017)

Item 5 General Debate

Statement of Ireland

Ireland aligns with the statement of the European Union and adds the following.

Mr President,

Ireland has been a longstanding advocate of the vital role played by civil society, including human rights defenders, in advancing the promotion and protection of human rights for all.

We remain particularly concerned by the alarming rise in acts of intimidation and reprisals from both States and non-State actors against human rights defenders.

We find the increasing instances of reprisals reported in many States deeply troubling. These acts, which are aimed at discouraging human rights defenders from interacting with international human rights bodies, representatives and mechanisms, including the HRC, undermine the entire UN human rights system.

We believe that States have the primary obligation to protect all those who cooperate or who seek to cooperate with the UN, including human rights defenders, and to guarantee that they do so safely and without hindrance.

Ireland condemns all acts of violence and intimidation directed against the individuals concerned, but also against their families, non-governmental organisations, legal representatives, and any person linked to them.

In this context, Ireland particularly welcomes the Secretary General’s Report presented today by ASG Gilmour on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights.

We share both the Secretary General's grave concern at acts of intimidation and reprisal and his view that the UN has a “collective responsibility to take action to respond to and prevent these acts”.

Further Ireland highly appreciates the commitment and work of the ASG of Human Rights as the senior official to lead the UN response.

We fully support the Secretary General's call “for all States, UN entities, bodies and mechanisms, civil society representatives and human rights defenders to cooperate fully with” ASG Gilmore in his role.

Thank you