Denis Naughten
Question:81 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he intends to adopt the UN recommendation that national delegations include people under 25. [15538/97]
Written Answers. - UN Delegations.
I take it the Deputy's question refers to the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000, which was agreed at the UN General Assembly in 1995. In the resolution adopting this particular programme, member states were invited, whenever possible, to include youth representatives in their delegations to UN bodies with a view to stimulating the participation of young people in the implementation of the Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000.
As the Deputy will appreciate, Ireland's delegations to the UN General Assembly and to other UN bodies are limited by resource constraints, both human and financial. Our priority therefore is to ensure that there are sufficient personnel with the relevant diplomatic and policy expertise to represent our national interests in the work of these bodies. The whole question of how to associate non-governmental organisations more closely with the work of Irish delegations to the UN and other bodies is however already under consideration.
I am, of course, prepared at all times to receive the views of non-governmental organisations representative of youth on the issues covered in the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000. Such views would be taken into consideration by our national delegation in arriving at positions to be adopted on the issues under debate in this programme.