Human rights groups urged European and African leaders began gathering for their first summit in seven years today to act on Sudan's Darfur crisis and confront Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe over rights abuses.
Activists hoped the 73 leaders from the world's largest trading bloc and its poorest continent would put rights at the top of their agenda at the Lisbon summit, which will aim to create fresh partnerships on issues like immigration and development when it begins tonight.
Previous attempts to hold the summit have failed over Mr Mugabe's attendance but this time the European Union, mindful of growing Chinese influence in Africa, decided to hold the summit and invite Mr Mugabe, who arrived late yesterday.
Mr Mugabe is seen by African leaders as an independence hero and many said they would not attend if he was not invited.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister of State for Overseas Development Michael Kitt are attending the summit. The Government earlier this week rejected a call by Fine Gael to boycott the meeting over Mr Mugabe's presence.
Fine Gael claimed it was "inappropriate" for the Taoiseach or any Minister to attend the conference if Mr Mugabe attended. A Fine Gael motion calling for a boycott was easily beaten in a Dáil vote by the Government, which was supported by Labour, Sinn Féin and all the Independent TDs.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said it was far better to attend rather than walk away. "We do not believe that the correct response to the tragedy of Zimbabwe - or to other even more tragic situations on the continent - is to preach from a distance," he argued.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has decided boycott the summit because Mr Mugabe would be there.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told BBC radio today it would have been "absurd" to sit down next to Mr Mugabe "through a discussion of good governance, of human rights, and pretend there wasn't absolute meltdown going on in Zimbabwe."
A group of 40 African and European parliamentarians was joined by 50 human rights groups in urging the leaders to tackle the plight of thousands of civilians in Sudan's Darfur region.
"MPs, campaigners and human rights activists are all asking the same question: how can our leaders ignore one of the world's worst crises?" asked British MEP Glenys Kinnock. "Especially when (Sudanese) President (Omar Hassan al-) Bashir, the man primarily responsible for so much of the suffering, is in their midst," she said in a statement. The UN Security Council approved in July a UN-African Union peace mission of 26,000 soldiers and police for Darfur.
But UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno has cast doubt on the mission due to restrictions imposed by Sudan.