Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 June 2022
330. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which Ireland continues to use its place on the United Nations Security Council to highlight atrocities taking place worldwide with a view to bringing the perpetrators and aggressors to justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33546/22]
View answerIreland is now in the second year of our term as an elected member of the UN Security Council. We have been actively engaged across the Council’s wide agenda since taking up our seat last year, and we are playing a constructive role in helping the Council fulfil its key role in the maintenance of international peace and security.
We have brought our principled and independent perspective to a range of key issues, in line with the core principles for our Council term – Building Peace, Strengthening Conflict Prevention and Ensuring Accountability. We will continue to use our term on the Council to highlight injustices, and to call out violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses.
This includes our work on the broad range of country situations on the Security Council’s agenda, including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and the Middle East, and on thematic issues, such as climate and security; women, peace and security; and the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Ireland is also active on the Security Council’s subsidiary bodies, including the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security, which we are co-chairing, and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.
One example of this work has been Ireland’s efforts at the United Nations to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine and also to ensure accountability. I personally briefed the Security Council on 19 April on my visit to Ukraine. What I witnessed there was truly shocking.
On 2 March 2022, Ireland joined a group of concerned States Parties to the Rome Statute in referring the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court. The ICC investigation will prove important in ensuring accountability for any international crimes committed in Ukraine. Ireland continues to be a consistent and strong supporter of the International Criminal Court. On14 April, I announced that Ireland will make a voluntary contribution of €3 million to the ICC, with €1 million to be distributed immediately to the Office of the Prosecutor. This contribution will be used to benefit the ICC’s work across all situation countries.
With ensuring accountability one of the key principles underpinning our engagement on the United Nations Security Council, we will continue to support and defend the International Criminal Court throughout our term on the Council, and to seek accountability as a key foreign policy priority in all relevant international fora.
