Paul Kehoe
Question:55 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the issues he considers were Ireland's successes during its recent term on the UN Security Council. [9990/03]
Written Answers. - UN Security Council.
When Ireland joined the United Nations Security Council on 1 January 2001, it was engaged in a wider range of issues of international peace and security than at any other time in its history. The Government developed an independent national position on each of these issues, taking account of common positions of the European Union, where these existed. The Government articulated these positions firmly and consistently, and worked constructively and flexibly to help achieve, where possible, a fair and practical outcome in the broadest interest of the parties involved and of the international community.
Ireland took a consultative and transparent approach to our membership of the Security Council, as promised during the election campaign. We kept our EU partners closely informed of the work of the Security Council and took their concerns on the various issues into account. Ireland worked to ensure that human rights and humanitarian needs were central to Security Council discussions and decisions, and that its primary responsibility under the UN Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security was respected.
During the period of our membership, the Security Council was confronted by a number of very serious challenges. These included the 11 September attacks, and the ensuing military action in Afghanistan, which commenced during Ireland's Presidency of the Security Council in October 2001. During its Presidency, Ireland was in a position to ensure that the action taken in Afghanistan was fully in accord with the letter and spirit of the UN Charter, that the Security Council was and remained fully involved, and that the grave humanitarian situation of the Afghan people remained at the centre of its concerns. It is a matter of particular satisfaction to the Government that the United Nations was placed at the centre of reconstruction efforts.
The reform of the sanctions regime on Iraq to ameliorate its effects on the Iraqi people was a major aim of the Government, and this was achieved in large measure by the adoption of Resolution 1409 in May of last year. When the active disarmament of Iraq came to the forefront of the Council's agenda, Ireland, with others, insisted on the central role of the Security Council and on the importance of offering Iraq the option of peaceful disarmament. In the negotiation and adoption of Resolution 1441, we made clear that, as far as Ireland was concerned, it was for the Security Council to determine the course of action in the event that Iraq refused to avail of the final opportunity offered by the resolution to comply with its disarmament obligations.
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ireland argued at every stage for a strengthened Security Council role, and for a balanced international approach. In the face of a deteriorating situation, Ireland played a central role in ensuring that the Security Council resumed its rightful position at the centre of efforts to resolve the conflict, and that it formally enshrined in a resolution – Resolution 1397 – the concept of a two-state solution. The UN's role at the centre of the process as a member of the quartet was consolidated. Ireland at all times called for parallel progress on the political, security and economic-humanitarian fronts and supported the role of the Quartet in their work of developing a roadmap leading to the achievement of the two-state solution.
Ireland pressed strongly for increased Security Council engagement with African issues, in particular for support for the peace processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Sierra Leone. Ireland was particularly active in bringing about the re-engagement by the UN with Somalia, in the face of enormous reluctance on the part of some in the international community, in the wake of events in the early 1990s. Ireland's permanent representative was a particularly active chairman of the Angola sanctions committee, and proved to be its last chairman, with the Security Council lifting the sanctions in December 2002, as Angola's long civil war was brought to an end.
The protection of civilians in armed conflict was a particular concern for Ireland, and we succeeded in securing the adoption of a checklist of issues in this area to be taken account of when establishing or modifying peace-keeping mandates. We also pressed for a changed approach to sanctions, to ensure that coercive measures were narrowly targeted on the parties being coerced, and that unintended effects on civilian populations were avoided. These principles were applied in a number of sanctions regimes.
In the Security Council's counter-terrorism activity, greatly enhanced after the events of 11 September, Ireland was insistent that the fight against terrorism be conducted in full conformity with international law, including humanitarian law, and with full respect for human rights. I had the honour of chairing an important meeting of the Security Council on East Timor on the last day of our Presidency, which was gratifying given the hard work put in by Ireland and others in ensuring a strong UN presence to assist the people of East Timor achieve and consolidate their independence. It was a source of great satisfaction to the Government that Ireland was able to vote last year in the Security Council to recommend the admission of Timor Leste as the newest member of the United Nations.