Maurice Dockrell

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council this week gave unanimous support to a motion proposed by Fine Gael councillor Maurice Dockrell, who previously practised as a solicitor and as a barrister.

A United Nations committee is currently developing a proposed international treaty on crimes against humanity, though it has encountered opposition from a number of states.

Mr Dockrell said the support for his motion “aligns Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown with a growing international movement, led by Afghan and Iranian women, demanding justice for the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life in regimes such as the Taliban’s Afghanistan”.

“The testimonies of survivors — detailing forced silence, violence, and exile — are too grave to ignore,” he said.

“We call on the Taoiseach, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Ireland’s representatives to the EU and UN to support inclusion of gender apartheid in the proposed Crimes Against Humanity Convention, and to work toward its incorporation in Irish and European law.

“Ireland must speak with clarity and courage.”