Written Answers. - United Nations Reform.
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:
68
Mr. Gilmore
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the proposals the Government will be making for the reform of the United Nations in general and the Security Council in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27483/00]
Brendan Howlin
Ceist:
122
Mr. Howlin
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
his views on the proposals from a number of countries for the reorganisation of the Security Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[27485/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 122 together.
The Government strongly supports reform of the United Nations, and both the Taoiseach and I reiterated this support during our statements at the UN in September. In particular, we fully support the UN Secretary General in his efforts to ensure the UN's continued capacity to contribute effectively to conflict prevention and to social and economic development. Ireland and its EU partners have sought to stress that the reform process is not simply a cost-cutting exercise but one which is aimed at strengthening and renewing the UN system. We are acutely conscious of the need to strengthen the United Nations in order to fulfil the commitment made in the summit declaration to ensure a more effective instrument for pursuing the fight for peace and development and against poverty, ignorance and disease. The Millennium Summit has provided fresh impetus to the reform process.
While a number of important reforms have taken place, particularly in the re-organisation of the UN's role in the delivery of development and humanitarian assistance, a substantial number of reform proposals requiring General Assembly approval have not yet been endorsed. These include important proposals in the development area and we will continue to work with our partners and other like-minded member states to achieve progress on these issues.
Ireland is a long-standing and enthusiastic participant in UN peacekeeping. The membership of the UN now needs to give the organisation the capacity to put in place well planned and resourced peacekeeping operations. The excellent Brahimi Report on reform of UN peacekeeping has made a series of detailed and practical recommendations in this regard. Ireland is participating actively in discussions in New York on implementation of the report.
One of the most difficult issues facing the UN membership generally is the question of Security Council reform. The General Assembly decided in 1993 to establish a working group, open to all UN member states, to consider all aspects of the question of an increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the council. It is a matter of regret that the working group has not yet been unable to report any substantive progress to the General Assembly.
The issues involved are enlargement of Security Council membership, the council's working methods and its decision-making procedures including, crucially, the use of the veto. Ireland supports a small, regionally balanced increase in both permanent and non-permanent seats to create an enlarged council of between 20 and 25 members. We strongly believe that any agreement on enlargement should not diminish the possibility for smaller UN member states to serve on the council as non-permanent members.
A significant number of other member states strongly oppose the creation of new permanent seats on the Council and this has created difficulties for the open-ended working group. Ireland will continue to play an active and constructive role in seeking agreement on this issue.
On Security Council working methods, there appears to be fairly wide consensus that these should be more formalised and transparent, involving greater consultation by the council with other UN organs, including the General Assembly and Secretary General, and in peacekeeping matters with troop contributing countries. During our forthcoming SECCO membership we will work for greater transparency and improved working methods.
Ireland would like to see the veto eliminated altogether but recognising the strong opposition of the permanent five has proposed that they be invited to accept a limitation of the veto and to exercise it only when they consider the question of vital national importance, taking into account the interests of the United Nations as a whole. At the same time any new permanent members of the council would declare that they would never exercise the veto.
In conclusion, I can assure the House that Ireland will continue to actively engage in all aspects of the reform agenda at the United Nations.
