Irish arms deals fueling conflicts - Amnesty

Arms deals brokered in Ireland are leading to the deaths of civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere, Amnesty International said today.

Speaking at the start of a campaign to promote human rights during Ireland's presidency of the EU, Mr Seán Love, executive director of Amnesty International's Irish Section, said the fact there was no law on arms brokering in Ireland was fuelling conflicts all over the world.

"Deals made on Irish soil are killing civilians in Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere. The Irish Government must put a stop to the carnage by supporting the introduction of binding legal rules in this area," he said.

Publishing its report entitled Human Rights Begin at Home, Amnesty noted that allegations of Garda misconduct were rife and said there were persistent shortcomings in police observance of fundamental rights.

"Ireland and its EU partners have failed to use their vast potential to promote human rights protection, and have not created effective mechanisms for accountability within the EU," said Mr Love, "Amnesty International's 2003 annual report condemned 13 of the 15 EU member states for perpetrating abuses of human rights within their territories," he said.

The campaign to promote human rights during the EU presidency will mobilise more than 20,000 Amnesty supporters in Ireland, as well as more than a million members across the EU and the accession states, the organisation said.

Mr Dick Oosting, Director of Amnesty International's EU Office said the "EU human rights machine appears to be running out of steam."

"It is not enough for the EU to preach human rights abroad.  Europe must look to itself first.  Amnesty International has detailed serious human rights concerns in most of the existing and prospective EU Member States.  Unless these are addressed at an EU level the EU's human rights credibility in its
international relations will be called into question," he said.

In its report Amnesty is seeking the implementation of the European Arrest Warrant in all states with appropriate human rights guarantees.

On racism, there needs to be pressure on member states to transpose the EU Race Directive into national laws across the Union, the report recommends.

The Irish presidency should also ensure that EU member states do not shift their responsibility for protection of refugees to third countries where adequate levels of protection and durable solutions are not available, it said.