Written Answers. - United Nations Reform.
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
56
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
his views on the case for reform of the United Nations; the changes proposed by Ireland; and if there are real prospects of reform taking place in the foreseeable future.
[9930/03]
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:
134
Mr. Broughan
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the proposals the Government is considering for reform of the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[9869/03]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 56 and 134 together.
The Government is acutely conscious of the need to strengthen the United Nations in order to fulfil the commitment made by the Taoiseach and his fellow heads of Government in the Millennium Summit declaration to ensure a more effective instrument for pursuing the fight for peace and development and against poverty, ignorance and disease.
The Secretary General's report of September 2002 on reform of the UN system, Strengthening of the United Nations: an Agenda for Further Change, represented a further significant step in the reform process. In response to the Secretary General's report, the General Assembly, on 20 December 2002, adopted by consensus a comprehensive resolution on strengthening the UN system. The important task now is to secure implementation of the commitments contained in the resolution. As far as Ireland and its EU partners are concerned, the reform process is not a cost-cutting exercise, but an essential series of steps aimed at strengthening and renewing the UN system.
United arrears payments have eased budgetary pressure and added impetus to the reform process. Co-operation between the Security Council and countries contributing troops to UN peacekeeping operations has been strengthened. As a permanent troop-contributor, Ireland pressed very strongly for this while on the Council. Major reforms have been undertaken in UN peacekeeping operations, based on the recommendations of the report of the panel on UN peace operations.
Extensive administrative reform is under way in the implementation of the UN's development programmes. Far-reaching reforms have been implemented within several of the UN's funds and programmes, involving the restructuring of management and the streamlining of operations.
One of the most difficult issues facing the UN membership generally is the question of Security Council reform. The General Assembly decided in 1993 to establish a working group, open to all UN member states, to address this issue in a comprehensive way. The working group has been meeting regularly in New York since 1993, with Ireland as an active participant, but it has to be said that progress to date on this very complex issue has been disappointing. The key issues involved are enlargement of Security Council membership, the Council's working methods and its decision-making procedures including, crucially, the use of the veto.
Ireland supports a small, regionally balanced increase in both the permanent and the elected membership to create an enlarged Security Council of between 20 and 25 members. Ireland does not believe that this should be at the expense of smaller members. As for the veto, Ireland would like to see it eliminated altogether. The Government recognises, however, the strong opposition of the permanent members and, in a spirit of realism and practicality, has proposed that they be invited to accept a limitation of the veto whereby they would exercise it only when the question in hand was one of vital national importance, taking into account the interests of the United Nations as a whole. At the same time, any new permanent members of the Security Council would commit themselves not to exercise the veto. Despite the lack of tangible progress to date, Ireland will continue to play an active and constructive role in seeking agreement on reform of the Security Council.
In conclusion, may I assure the House that reform of the UN remains very much a live issue, on which more work remains to be done. Ireland will continue to support the reform process and will remain actively involved in it.
