IRELAND: UNCHR 61

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000319 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC SUBJECT: IRELAND: UNCHR 61 REF: STATE 42847 Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARY DALY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D) (C) On March 11, Emboff delivered reftel draft resolution to Eamonn Mac Aodha, Director, Human Rights Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Mac Aodha said that Conor Lenihan, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs will address the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR) directly on March 17 and outline the GOI's priorities for the current CHR session. According to Mac Aodha, Ireland generally will follow the EU lead on most issues and not submit national resolutions. He expects Lenihan to address some key issues of importance to Ireland, notably, Sudan and the UN reform process and will announce Irish support for EU Resolutions on North Korea and Burma. Another priority Mac Aodha expects Lenihan to address is that of corporate responsibility in relation to Human Rights. He said that Ireland is likely to support Switzerland's initiative on Nepal. Mac Aodha clarified that the Dutch, and no longer the Irish, are sponsoring a resolution on religious intolerance and that Ireland, as coordinator of WEOG looks forward to engagement with the United States and others during this session. BENTON