Michael Ring
Question:17 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason Ireland has no plans to ratify the International Convention Against the Recruitment of Mercenaries. [12402/98]
Written Answers. - Convention Against Recruitment of Mercenaries.
The current position is that the International Convention Against the Recruitment of Mercenaries is not yet in force and will not enter into force until 22 states have ratified or acceded to the convention. As of 25 May 1998, there were 16 signatories and 16 states parties to the convention.
While Ireland's accession to this particular convention is not at present under active consideration, this is not to say that accession has been ruled out. It may be that at some stage in the future a decision would be taken to accede to the convention. The situation will be kept under review in the context of the ongoing assessment and prioritisation of Ireland's international commitments.