Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 20 May 1993

Vol. 431 No. 2

Written Answers. - Ireland's Peace Enforcement Role.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

72 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the future role of Ireland as a peace enforcement agency; if such a role is emerging; if peacekeeping alone is sufficient to meet requirements in Eastern Europe at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

I understand the Deputy's question to refer principally to recent public statements about Ireland's present and future role in UN peacekeeping and, in particular, to the Government's decision of 11 May that Ireland would respond favourably to a request from the UN Secretary-General for the despatch of a transport contingent from the Defence Forces to serve with the second UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II).

UNOSOM II will be what is described as a peace-making force. It has been given a strong mandate by the UN Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. This includes authority to defend itself and to disarm elements in Somalia in addition to its task of protecting humanitarian workers and facilities.

Service by members of the Defence Forces in UN operations is governed at present by the Defence Act, 1960. This Act allows for the despatch of contingents as part of United Nations Forces for the performance of Duties of a police character only. Since the UNOSOM II mandate under Chapter VII of the Charter goes beyond this, it will be necessary to amend the Act to enable the Defence Forces to participate. A resolution of the Dáil approving such participation will also be required.

When announcing the Government's decision, I stated that UNOSOM II marked a new departure in UN operations. It is intended to complement and support the UN's political and humanitarian efforts in Somalia. The Government's decision to participate reaffirms our commitment to the United Nations and our willingness to carry our responsibilities under the Charter in upholding international peace and security even in difficult and complex situations.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the range of UN operations in which our Defence Forces may participate will be broadened once the necessary legislative steps have been implemented and Dáil procedures complied with. There will however be no change in the basic position that participation will be confined to operations established by the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations. The existing provision in the Defence Act requiring Dáil approval for despatch of contingents on UN service will be retained. Furthermore, we will maintain the practice of assessing each request made by the UN Secretary-General on its merits and in the light of all relevant circumstances at the time.

In so far as Eastern Europe is concerned, CSCE peacekeeping efforts are playing an important and developing role in a number of countries, for example in Moldova and Georgia. Peace enforcement is specifically excluded from CSCE peacekeeping activities, in accordance with the 1992 CSCE Helsinki document.

The only UN peacekeeping operation in Eastern Europe is in former Yugoslavia. The mandate of the UN force there does not include peace enforcement, but is directed towards humanitarian activities and the pursuit of a political settlement. The international community is making a major effort to obtain the agreement of all three Bosnian parties to the Vance-Owen peace plan. The implementation of this plan will be an enormous challenge and will require the deployment in Bosnia-Hercegovina of a very large peacekeeping force under UN auspices.