Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 February 2021
326. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has engaged with Her Excellency Ms Geraldine Byrne Nason on her work as chair of the Somalia sanctions committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5412/21]
View answerIreland has a long history of engagement on Somalia, from our contribution to peacekeeping in the 1990s to today’s participation in EU civilian capacity building missions and support to humanitarian response. Over the next two years, Somalia will continue to undergo a fragile transition, and will face many peace and security challenges. Minister Coveney, along with officials from the Department, continue to engage with relevant actors, and monitor the situation closely.
On the Security Council Ireland's focus will be on actions which contribute to building long term peace, justice and stability in Somalia, including promoting peacebuilding under the National Reconciliation Framework and ensuring inclusive political participation—particularly of women and marginalised communities.
It is against this backdrop, that Ireland has taken up the role of chair of the Somalia Sanctions Committee, one of the Security Council’s subsidiary bodies. These bodies are chaired by the Permanent Representatives of elected Council members, with Ambassador Byrne Nason chairing the Somalia Sanctions Committee.
The mandate of the Somalia Sanctions Committee is to oversee implementation of relevant Council Resolutions, which provide for a targeted arms embargo, a travel ban, and assets freeze, along with its important humanitarian carve-out. As Chair, Ireland will seek to facilitate agreement on fulfilling the Committee’s mandate, including improved compliance with the arms embargo, addressing Al-Shabaab financing, and advancing the human rights and accountability elements of the mandate.
Ireland will also focus on leveraging sanctions as a preventative tool against threats to the peace, security and stability of Somalia, including through violations of International Humanitarian Law.
In Ireland's broader work on the Council, we are committed to ensuring that voices from the region are clearly heard and heeded: we will encourage deeper dialogue between the Council, the African Union and African Member States on the security transition in Somalia—including the implications for the broader Horn of Africa.
The Minister receives regular briefings from officials in the Department in Dublin and New York on all aspects of Ireland's Council membership, including the Ambassador, and provides policy direction as required.
