Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Nov 1999

Vol. 509 No. 6

Written Answers. - Conflict Prevention Strategies.

Monica Barnes

Question:

59 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the role, if any, he envisages for Ireland in participating in strategies to prevent humani tarian disasters, including genocide, as outlined in his speech to the UN on 25 September 1999. [21017/99]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews)

The need for effective conflict prevention strategies is one of the greatest challenges facing the international community today. As I said in my address to the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September, we are all haunted by the collective failure to prevent humanitarian disasters – including genocide – as well as the outbreak of conflict in many regions. In the light of the slowness in responding to crisis situations and potential humanitarian disasters, notably in Kosovo earlier this year and in a number of conflict situations in Africa, there is a growing debate on how the international community can most effectively react.

The Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has spoken of what he calls the core challenge facing the UN in the next century; to forge unity behind the principle that massive and systematic violations of human rights, wherever they may take place, should not be allowed to stand. He wishes that the international community move from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention. The benefits of such a fundamental change of approach are obvious.

Ireland fully supports the Secretary General in his efforts to develop better prevention strategies and to foster a strong sense of deterrence. If states engaged in crimes against their own population know that the Security Council can and will take effective action, they may be deterred from such brutalities. Even the costliest policy of prevention is far cheaper, in lives and resources, than the least expensive use of armed force.

Another effective deterrent to violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, will be provided by the International Criminal Court which will address the scandal of impunity. Ireland looks forward to the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. To that end, Ireland participates in the preparatory commission set up to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the effective operation of the court upon the entry into force of the statute. Ratification of the statute by Ireland is a matter of priority for my Department.

The recent United Nations General Assembly debate showed clearly that these issues are now, thanks to the leadership of the Secretary-General, firmly on the international agenda. Much of the current consideration of this crucial issue is focusing on the need for clarification of the principles and the establishment of agreed criteria for external intervention. In this regard, there is an evident need to reconcile the requirements of international human rights provisions with other principles such as national sovereignty or non-intervention as established by the UN Charter. Ireland is actively involved in this debate and is currently engaged in discussions with like-minded countries, notably in a group known as the human security network, which meets under the joint chairmanship of Canada and Norway. I attended the most recent meeting of this group which took place in New York during my visit to the UN General Assembly last month.

A renewed, reformed and re-energised UN is essential if our aspirations in the area of conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance are to be realised. As part of the Secretary General's ongoing reform programme, the UN office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs has replaced the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Ireland, with other donor countries, actively supported the setting up of this new UN office. Its mandate is to co-ordinate the international response to humanitarian crises, to assist in developing humanitarian policies and to act as advocate for the victims of crises and ensure that the humanitarian perspective is taken into account in overall peace-building efforts. The improvement in the past two years in the overall response capacity of the international community has been notable.

However, the question of resources is central to everything that the United Nations is attempting to achieve. The UN must be given the resources to address these issues in the way outlined so effectively by Secretary General Annan. Ireland, together with its partners in the European Union, stresses at every opportunity the obligation on every member state of the UN to pay its assessed contributions in full and on time together with all outstanding arrears, if applicable. This is essential for the development and implementation of enhanced conflict prevention strategies.