Statement by Ireland at the 1465th Meeting of the Permanent Council
Madame Chair,
Ireland aligns with the statement made by the EU and we would like to add the following remarks in our national capacity.
We would like to welcome Director Matteo Mecacci to the Permanent Council and thank him for his report today.
Ireland is deeply grateful to Director Mecacci and his team for their dedication, integrity and high standards as they implement ODIHR’s mandate.
We commend ODIHR’s continuing response to the appalling violations of human rights affecting millions of people as a result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
We share Director Mecacci’s assessment that this is indeed a time of profound challenges for human rights and democracy across the OSCE region.
The decisions taken in recent weeks by two participating States not to invite OSCE observers for elections are a clear and concerning indication of the extent to which some States are willing to openly disregard the commitments and fundamental principles of our Organisation.
In this challenging context, ODIHR’s 2023 Annual Report, which outlines the wide range of valuable support that ODIHR provided last year to participating States across our human dimension commitments, is all the more remarkable.
It is a testament to the dedication of Director Mecacci and his team that this high quality work has been achieved while operating under significant and unsustainable budgetary constraints.
Ireland is very concerned by the budgetary situation facing ODIHR and we reiterate our call on all participating States to provide the resources that ODIHR needs for the implementation of its human dimension mandate.
Madame Chair,
We appreciated ODIHR’s collaboration with Ireland’s Parliament, the Oireachtas, in 2023.
The publication in November of the ‘Dublin Recommendations on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Participate in Political and Public Life’ makes the insights and experience of ODIHR’s Advisory Panel on the Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities available to all participating States as we work to build more inclusive and representative democracies.
It has been a privilege to collaborate with ODIHR in our capacity as Chair of the Human Dimension Committee and we are grateful for the ongoing support in relation to the work of the Committee in 2024.
Please be assured of Ireland’s support for your work, Director Mecacci, and the work of your team as you continue to implement ODIHR’s mandate in an impartial and professional manner.
Thank you Madame Chair.