Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
193. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department has raised the situation of human rights defenders in West Papua in the context of the EU-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations. [68079/26]
View answerThe EU and Indonesia recently concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). This is a broad ranging, rules-based trade and investment agreement which will serve as a dynamic platform for long term cooperation between the EU and Indonesia. Trade agreements are an important driver for sustainable growth both in the EU and in partner countries.
Trade agreements do not comprehensively address all policy issues or all aspects of the EU's relationship with a partner country, but modern EU trade agreements do include provisions on trade and sustainable development, including on the implementation of international labour conventions and environmental agreements. The CEPA with Indonesia contains legally binding commitments on core labour standards and designates the Paris Climate Agreement an “essential element” of the deal. There is a dedicated Protocol on Palm Oil, which links trade access to compliance with EU rules against deforestation, touching directly on land rights in indigenous communities. During the negotiations, civil society organisations were given a platform to raise concerns, and assessments were undertaken to the impact of the agreement on human rights and other important parameters. A Civil Society Forum gives NGOs from both sides a formal voice in how the agreement is implemented.
I believe that this agreement will have meaningful benefits, not just for the EU, but also for the Indonesian people, while containing provisions on human rights.
The Embassy of Ireland in Indonesia regularly meets with and supports civil society organisations in Indonesia working on a range of priorities, particularly in relation to human rights. This includes actively engaging with Human Rights Defenders, including those from the Papua region, whilst closely monitoring the human rights situation there and any reports of violence arising from the area.
