Vol. 482 No. 3
16 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he has for reform of the United Nations; if the Government supports the case for restructuring of the Security Council to make it more representative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18026/97]
Ireland has actively supported efforts to achieve necessary reforms within the United Nations system so that it can more effectively face the complex and difficult challenges in the coming millennium. In particular we believe that reform and revitalisation is required to ensure a more effective realisation by the organisation of the major objectives of the UN Charter, namely to secure international peace and security and to promote the economic and social development of all member states.
Since taking up office in January 1997, the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has shown a strong commitment to reform and reorganisation within the UN system. In July 1997 he presented a detailed report to the General Assembly on possible reform measures to strengthen and renew the UN effort. This report is currently under discussion at the 52nd Session of the General Assembly in New York.
Most of the measures proposed by the Secretary-General conform to our own ideas on reforms required within the UN Organisation. For example Ireland had earlier proposed that the UN peacekeeping role be reviewed in the light of recent experience and measures taken to strengthen it. We welcome the fact that the Secretary-General intends to improve the capacity of the UN for early deployment and rapid reaction by its peacekeeping missions to crises which threaten international peace.
Within the reform debate at the United Nations, under the recent Irish Presidency, the EU elaborated a substantial set of proposals aimed at revitalising the activities and function of the UN in the area of economic and social development, with particular emphasis on the needs of poorer developing countries. I am pleased to note that many of these proposals were endorsed by the UN Secretary-General.
In view of this, Ireland gave full political endorsement to the Secretary-General's reform report in its statement in the General Debate at the UN General Assembly in September.
As the Deputy indicates in his question, the reform of the Security Council is another issue that requires to be addressed. The Government fully supports the view that the composition of the Security Council needs to be enlarged to take account of the wider membership of the United Nations which comprises 185 member states.
