Ireland is the strongest voice for human rights within the EU, former US president Jimmy Carter said today.
The 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner today received €600,000 in aid from the Irish Government for his global foundation that monitors elections in world trouble spots.
Mr Carter said Ireland has been an important ally of the Carter Centre in the pursuit of peace and democracy across the world. He added: "I would say that the Irish Government has become the pre-eminent voice for human rights in the European Union."
Mr Carter was speaking to delegates at the ninth annual NGO Forum on Human Rights, at Croke Park conference centre.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern earlier paid tribute to Mr Carter's early interest in the Northern Ireland peace process and to his integrity and dedication to public service.
"We in Ireland owe a particular debt to President Carter, as he was the one, in 1977, who first called for the British and Irish governments to work together and pointed out the economic benefits of peace, which we are all enjoying 30 years later," Mr Ahern said.
Mr Carter established the Carter Centre in 1982 and it works in the areas of human rights, conflict prevention, democracy and health. Irish Aid and the Carter Centre work in partnership with human rights defenders in developing countries.
Irish Aid said the €600,000 funding will help the Carter Centre to carry out its work without having to wait for finance to be raised. The development agency funded the Centre by €50,000 in 2005 and €70,000 in 2006.
Mr Carter and his wife Rosalynn yesterday met with President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin.
PA