Ireland's reputation for defending human rights at risk after election of Saudi Arabia to UN Commission on the Status of Women

Demands are growing for the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to disclose how Ireland voted on Saudi Arabia's membership of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. According to the UN, the Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Last month, Saudi Arabia successfully campaigned for a seat on the commission, securing 47 votes, at least five of which are said to have come from European countries.

The outcome caused a storm of controversy, with Human Rights Watch stating that Saudi Arabia's election is an "affront to the mission of the commission itself, and a rebuke to Saudi women". Following the revelation that Belgium supported Saudi Arabia, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was forced to make a public apology for supporting the Saudis. He expressed regret in parliament and declared Belgium would vote differently if the ballot could be held again. Meanwhile today (4th May, 2017) when the matter was raised in the Dáil (lower house of the Irish parliament) Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan declined to indicate how Ireland voted. He cited established diplomatic practice for not disclosing their voting intentions or voting decisions as the reason for his stance.

Independents4Change TD Mick Wallace said you would struggle to find any country in the world where women are treated so poorly than Saudi Arabia. He said that the people of Ireland suspect that "diplomacy and trade interests have won out and human rights have lost out." Fianna Fáil spokesman on foreign affairs Darragh O'Brien said he hoped Ireland played no part in facilitating that position. "Do our Government, through you, deem it appropriate that Saudi Arabia sit on a United Nations Commission on the status of women?" he asked. "Is it a question of trade ahead of human rights?" He said any person who knows anything about Saudi Arabia's track record of treating women "would find it absolutely disgusting that the Irish Government would support" the move.

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan made a statement this morning saying: "I am demanding the Department of Foreign Affairs to clarify whether Ireland voted in favour of Saudi Arabia securing a seat on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. "If it is a case that the Irish Government did support the Saudis, it is a disgraceful state of affairs." Labour spokesperson on foreign affairs Ivana Bacik said: "It is outrageous that Saudi Arabia is now elected as a member of the Commission, and very worrying to see reports that five European states may have voted in favour of its membership. "I call now on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, to clarify whether Ireland was one of the states which supported Saudi membership."

What is clear is that Saudi Arabia's election to the commission is disgraceful and the question as to whether Ireland gave support to Saudi Arabia has to be answered. There can be no doubt that Ireland's reputation for defending human rights is at risk as a result of not challenging Saudi Arabia's membership of the commission. The violation of the rights of women in Saudi Arabia can never be tolerated.

Picture: Lynn Boylan Sinn Féin Member of the European Parliament: "If it is a case that the Irish Government did support the Saudis, it is a disgraceful state of affairs."