The issues facing Ireland throughout the two years of our Security Council membership have been challenging and multifaceted. As I have previously told the House, our approach to issues on the council agenda has been based on our traditional commitment to peacekeeping, disarmament, human rights and development co-operation. We have sought to ensure that the human rights of individuals and the humanitarian needs of populations remain central to discussions at the council and have stressed at all times the need to address the root causes of conflict and to respect the principles of international law.
We have sought to take each issue on its merits and work constructively with members of the council and other interested parties to find a solution which is in the broadest possible interest of the international community. Our permanent representative and his staff have made a special effort to stay in close contact with the wider membership of the UN, who were responsible for electing us to the council.
This approach has, in my view, stood us in good stead. It has enabled Ireland to make a very positive and substantive contribution to the work of the council and has brought a fresh perspective and an objective approach to its work which has been welcomed and respected by other member states, in and beyond the council, and by the NGO community.
Two substantial resolutions on Iraq have been adopted by the council in 2002 with active Irish engagement. Resolution 1441, adopted on 8 November, gives Iraq a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations through compliance with a reinforced inspections regime. In so doing, it offers the best possible means of avoiding a recourse to military action and preserving the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. Resolution 1409, adopted on 14 May, made changes to the system of economic sanctions against Iraq designed to reduce their impact on the civilian population. This was a major goal for Ireland on the council.
During Ireland's time on the council, 12 resolutions have been passed on the situation in the Middle East, most recently Resolution 1435, which condemned terrorist attacks and expressed support for the work of the quartet. The council is working towards a two state solution and is actively supporting the work of the quartet on a road map leading to a Palestinian state within three years.
Ireland has played its part fully in the serious work in the international fight against terrorism that has been undertaken following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. We have been active in discussions on the reconstruction of Afghanistan where we were successful in seeking to focus the council's attention on the humanitarian situation of the Afghan people.
African issues have been a consistent priority for the Security Council during Ireland's period of membership. Significant progress has been made towards resolving the conflicts in the DRC, Angola, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia-Eritrea, and the challenge now is to consolidate that progress and avoid a slide back into war. Important issues which need to be tackled include the dire humani tarian situation in many conflict countries, grave abuses of human rights, the use of child soldiers, and ongoing insecurity, often as a result of the uncontrolled flow of small arms and light weapons across borders.
The illegal trade in conflict commodities, such as diamonds, is an issue which has been tackled by the Security Council in Sierra Leone, Angola and the DRC, and must be kept under constant review to ensure that conflicts do not become self-financing and self-perpetuating. As chair of the Angola sanctions committee, Ireland made a significant contribution to bringing to an end the military action by UNITA which has caused so much suffering to the people of Angola.
Ireland took a particularly firm position on the situation in Western Sahara, where we have refused to support proposals which could have called into question the right of the Saharwi people to self-determination.
Membership of the council has also afforded us the opportunity to work to improve UN sanctions regimes. While there is no doubt that specifically targeted sanctions play an important role where flagrant breaches of international law occur or there is a threat to international peace, there is a strong balancing objective to ensure that the civilian population of the country against whose government the sanctions are imposed does not suffer.
In the remaining weeks of our term, we will continue to promote Ireland's values and objectives in the pursuit of international peace and security and human rights for all.