One of the most important channels for Ireland to influence global peace and security efforts at the current time is through our membership of the UN Security Council.
Ireland has been engaging across the full range of issues on the Security Council’s agenda - actively promoting respect for international law, prioritising the protection of civilians and supporting the fight against impunity.
Last month, at the Council open debate on indispensable civilian objects, I highlighted the necessity to protect civilians and the essential services they need in situations of armed conflict. As co-chair of the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace, and Security, Ireland has worked to highlight the critical role of women as agents of change in Yemen, South Sudan, Libya and Mali. Ireland has also been actively involved in the Security Council Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict. On 7 May, Ireland co-sponsored an informal Council meeting on the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on violations against children in situations of armed conflict.
UN peacekeeping is one of the most collaborative, effective and visible tools of the UN in the promotion and maintenance of peace and security across the globe. There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations worldwide, with over 95,000 uniformed personnel from over 120 countries. It is a global effort to which Ireland is fully committed - with contributions from the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána, Ireland is present in more than half of the current UN peacekeeping operations.
During our time on the Security Council, Ireland will work to ensure that the mandates for peacekeeping missions align with the needs of the people they seek to protect, and that the missions have the resources necessary to carry out their tasks. Since Ireland joined the Council, mandates have been renewed or augmented for peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Later this month, Ireland will work with other Council members to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.
Ireland has been at the forefront of UN Security Council efforts to address the situation in Ethiopia, and we led the negotiation of the first press statement from the Security Council on the current crisis. We will continue to use our Council membership to highlight the need to protect civilians and ensure unfettered humanitarian access.
Ireland strongly supports all efforts towards ending the conflict in Yemen, led by UN Special Envoy Griffiths. At the Security Council Ireland has highlighted a number of issues of concern in Yemen including the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the need for a political process that includes the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.
The Security Council is also active on Sudan, in particular in response to an upward trend in armed violence in Darfur in recent months. Ireland will work with other Council members on the renewal of the mandate of the special political mission UNITAMS in the coming weeks.
