Thomas P. Broughan
Question:173 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recent United Nations report on the reform of the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2757/05]
View answerWednesday, 2 February 2005
Questions (130)
Written answers
The Deputy is referring to the report of the high level panel on threats, challenges and change, which issued on 2 December 2004.
The high level panel was established in November 2003 by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to examine how best collective action can meet current and future threats to peace and security. Specifically, the panel was tasked with analysing current and future challenges to international peace and security and assessing how best collective action can meet these challenges. It was asked to recommend changes necessary to ensure effective collective action, including but not limited to a review of the principal organs of the United Nations.
A central priority of Ireland's Presidency of the European Union was to mobilise EU support for the multilateral system and the United Nations. Ireland drafted and coordinated the EU's contribution to the work of the panel and it is gratifying that many of its key elements are reflected in the panel's recommendations.
At the UN next September, heads of state and government will review the implementation of the millennium summit declaration and examine progress in achieving the millennium development goals. At the same time, they will seek agreement on reforms, including institutional reforms, to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the UN system. At the end of next month, Secretary General Annan, having reflected on the panel's recommendations and the reaction to them, and also on the recently issued report of the millennium project, co-ordinated by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, will make some core proposals of his own to act as a basis for agreement on a balanced outcome at the September summit.
In publicly welcoming the report of the panel in December, I said that it made a compelling case for the multilateral system as the best way for all states, working together, to confront threats and challenges to security and development in today's world. From Ireland's perspective, the report contains two critically important elements. First, it makes the case — convincingly — for a new, more comprehensive approach to security, making it clear that effective collective security demands that we address poverty, disease and underdevelopment as well as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. This reflects the central premise of the EU's contribution to the work of the panel — there can be no hierarchy of threats.
Second, the report makes a number of specific recommendations for the prevention of threats, including terrorism, poverty, internal conflict and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as on the institutional reform of the UN. Many of these are sound, constructive and worthy of support. A particular emphasis of the panel, which I strongly endorse, is the need for sustained, coordinated multilateral support for peace building in countries emerging from conflict and at risk of sliding back into conflict.
I welcome the report's affirmation of the responsibility to act to prevent gross violations of human rights in cases where the authorities in the states in question prove unable or unwilling to fulfil these responsibilities themselves. I also welcome the impetus the report has given to consideration of reform of UN institutions, including the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as the proposal for the establishment of a peace building commission.
As regards Security Council reform, which is likely to be a major area of discussion ahead of the September summit, I wish to see a practical and effective outcome that would broaden the representation on the council, including from the developing world. Ireland has long believed that the Security Council should be reformed to make it more reflective of today's world; its legitimacy, and therefore its effectiveness, would be thereby enhanced.
Ireland also believes strongly that the maintenance of international peace and security is a shared responsibility. We will, therefore, in the discussions ahead of the September summit, make it clear to the UN Secretary General and to our international partners that smaller countries, especially those like Ireland that provide strong support to the UN, politically, financially and militarily, must continue to have the opportunity to serve on the Security Council at appropriate intervals.
The task ahead of us is to work with Secretary General Annan to prepare effectively for next September's summit and to ensure that it adopts a positive package of measures that will set us on course for the implementation of the millennium summit declaration and the achievement of the millennium development goals, and that will enhance the effectiveness of, and restore confidence in, the system of collective security based on the UN Charter.
The promotion of support for a positive outcome at the September summit is an important priority of the Government and will be high on the agenda in all discussions with my international colleagues over the course of the year.
Question No. 174 answered with QuestionNo. 104.