The Government is gravely concerned at the violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. We condemn the latest wave of attacks against civilians and call for an end to all acts of terrorism. The international community can play an important role, in co-operation with the parties, in bringing this violence to an end.
Last December, a draft Security Council resolution which would have expressed the council's determination to establish a UN observer mission in the occupied territories failed to gain sufficient support. In light of the developments since, the Security Council returned to the issue and had a detailed debate starting on 15 March in which Ireland made its position on the violence and the urgent necessity to resume negotiations very clear to the council. During this debate, representatives of the non-aligned movement introduced a similar draft resolution with a view to the establishment of an observer mission to protect civilians from the violence in the occupied territories.
The view of many members of the Security Council, including Ireland, and also of the UN Secretary General, is that any effective presence of UN observers would require the agreement of both sides to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that a UN mission may in the future be part of a comprehensive settlement.
Ireland has been very active in exploring the possibilities for the adoption of a resolution which could command unanimous support in the Security Council. We see it as essential to preserve the principle of consent of the parties. This is required where any mission is being established other than under the enforcement provisions of Chapter VII of the UN Charter. In the case under examination here, it is very difficult to see how a mission could operate without the co-operation of both sides.
