The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, yesterday met the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, and the Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, for the first time since her appointment as commissioner.
Mrs Robinson, who was in Dublin for the inauguration of President Mary McAleese, discussed a range of human rights issues with the two Ministers. They also considered ways in which her post might be strengthened in the light of the UN reform package which included a heightened focus on human rights issues.
Mr Andrews said human rights was "a priority issue for the Government and a central component of our foreign policy", while Ms O'Donnell was particularly concerned about the situation in Algeria.
She said that "neither Ireland nor Europe can be indifferent to the suffering that has occurred in Algeria".