69 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will support the appointment of a special rapporteur on human rights for Algeria; and if he will support the call to rescind the association agreement unless visas are granted to EU officials to oversee the fulfilment of the agreement in view of the fact that Algeria has signed articles of association with the EU. [10276/02]

119 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Algeria; if an improvement has been achieved regarding human rights; if he will use his influence at EU and UN level to bring about an improvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10625/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 119 together.

The Government remains deeply concerned at the suffering caused by the civil conflict in Algeria. Internal security remains extremely volatile – the recent period has been marked by a further increase in killings, with Islamic extremists continuing to target the civilian population. There has been some progress, most notably the Algerian Government's recent decision to recognise the Berber language. However, Ireland and our EU partners continue to urge Algeria to take further measures to strengthen democracy and respect for human rights. We hope the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Algeria will advance these necessary reforms. Ireland and our EU partners will again refer to the situation in Algeria at the current UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva.

The Government of Algeria continue to oppose the appointment of a UN special rapporteur and it appears, as on previous occasions, there would be insufficient support among the current members of the UN Commission for Human Rights for such a proposal to succeed. In such circumstances, it would be counterproductive were a proposal to be made only to be defeated.