Vol. 542 No. 2
98 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the campaign against international terrorism; if he has satisfied himself with the efforts to bring food aid and humanitarian relief to the people of Afghanistan; and if he has proposals in this regard. [24046/01]
The multifaceted campaign against international terrorism is being pursued across a wide front. Ireland is particularly involved through the United Nations and the European Union. We are also active at a national level. The UN Security Council reacted swiftly to the events of 11 September by unanimously adopting Resolution 1368 which condemned the attacks and called on all states to work together to bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent and suppress international terrorism.
Following on from Resolution 1368, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1373 on 28 September. The resolution imposes obligations on member states under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and particularly emphasises measures which must be taken to combat the financing of terrorism. Member states are obliged to report on actions taken to those ends within 90 days. As President of the Security Council, Ireland moved quickly to ensure the establishment of the committee provided for in Resolution 1373 to monitor the implementation of the resolution. Both UN resolutions reaffirm the inherent right to individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Action at EU level has been equally intense. On 21 September EU Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment to take concerted action against terrorism and make it a priority objective of the European Union. They agreed to pursue a wide range of judicial co-operation measures. These include Commission proposals for Council framework decisions on combating terrorism and the introduction of a European arrest warrant. I will be attending a special meeting of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg tomorrow to review actions taken and planned in response to the 11 September attacks. Our meeting will report to the Ghent informal European Council on 19 October. The Government has moved quickly to set up internal arrangements to co-ordinate the follow through on our national responsibilities under the UN and EU initiatives, including seeking to provide additional time in the House to deal with the necessary legislative measures.
On the security front, the United States and its allies began military action on 7 October against the military assets of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the terrorist bases of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network in that country. I regret that such action proved necessary. However, the Taliban has refused for two years to comply with demands of the UN Security Council that it hand over Mr. bin Laden and his associates and close terrorist camps operating in areas under its control. It continued its defiance even after the terrorist attacks of 11 September, which Mr. bin Laden has since openly applauded.
The Government has been assured that the military action being undertaken by the United States and its allies is targeted and focused and that every effort is being made to avoid civilian casualties. This is essential. The people of Afghanistan are not responsible for the atrocities of 11 September and are themselves victims of prolonged violence and the extremism of the Taliban regime. The Government is concerned that the people of Afghanistan should be able to live under a government which enjoys a broad level of popular support across the various ethnic groups which make up the country. The UN Security Council has been seeking progress in this area for some time. In this regard, I welcome the appointment by the UN Secretary General of a special representative, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, and guarantee him Ireland's full support in his efforts. We will stay in close touch with him.
Additional informationThe Government has also been working vigorously and proactively to help resolve the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It has been, from the moment Ireland assumed its seat on the Security Council, to the forefront in ensuring the humanitarian position is given international priority. I raised the issue in the course of my various meetings in Washington and New York in September. As a result, we have arranged for ongoing briefings of the Security Council on the humanitarian position in Afghanistan. My colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, underscored this priority at the special meeting of EU Development Ministers, which was convened in Brussels on 10 October. The European Union has made 316 million available in response to the humanitarian emergency.
This is a fast evolving situation in which it remains difficult to measure needs accurately. It requires a variety of flexible humanitarian responses which are being co-ordinated by the UN lead agencies in the field. Contingency plans have been put in place to meet the various possible scenarios of need. Food stocks are being put in place and the UN High Commission for Refugees is preparing for a possible initial increase in refugees of 1.5 million. The UNHCR is also working to open six new camps along the Pakistan border with capacity for 300,000 people. New camps along the Iranian border will similarly provide for 200,000 people. The World Food Programme is also working flat out to provide the necessary food stocks for those people at risk within Afghanistan's borders.
Bilaterally, we have provided £4 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan since the start of this year. This is one of the largest contributions ever made by an Irish Government to a single emergency reflecting the enormous gravity of the crisis. We are vigorously pursuing a number of humanitarian priorities, namely, getting aid to the people of Afghanistan before the onset of winter, positioning emergency food stocks, protecting aid workers and the vulnerable population and keeping borders open to refugees. Irish NGOs are reviewing their programmes on a daily basis. Ireland Aid is in close daily contact with its partner NGOs and international organisations to ensure the aid we are providing gets to those who need it in the most effective manner.
I focus on the humanitarian position in Afghanistan. While I appreciate the announcements made by the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy O'Donnell, on moneys from Ireland and additional moneys following the EU Development Co-operation Council meeting, I am concerned about the logistics. With winter approaching, it is clear that dropping food aid parcels will not solve the problem. Does the Minister recognise and accept that the most difficult part of the humanitarian problem is the logistics? Have there been any serious discussions on ways of overcoming these logistical problems to bring in the massive quantities of food aid which are needed?
Yes, we have had a number of discussions. When I visited the United Nations at the beginning of our presidency I made arrangements to discuss these matters with the OCHA which is handling this problem. There is a huge logistical challenge. Precisely because of the magnitude of the problems the UN Secretary General appointed Mr. Brahimi as special co-ordinator of the effort. As the House will know, Mr. Brahimi brought forward a report on the reform of peacekeeping arrangements in the United Nations and is regarded as a very able administrator and official who enjoys the full confidence of the Secretary General.
Ambassador Ryan spoke to Mr. Brahimi yesterday in his capacity within the Presidency. Mr. Brahimi will meet the Secretary General today and I will telephone him this evening. He is taking soundings from other members of the Security Council and intends visiting the area before returning to the Security Council within a week, probably next Tuesday or Wednesday, to put to it the proposals he feels are necessary having discussed the position with everyone concerned, including Iran and Pakistan, and taking into account the Indian dimension. It is, therefore, important to recognise that the UN Secretary General has moved quickly in appointing Mr. Brahimi with the necessary co-ordinating functions and that he is now dealing with the task. This function is in addition to the work already being carried out by the World Food Programme, the OCHA and the UNHCR.
The Minister will be aware of concerns that food aid will get into the wrong hands. Two further specific questions arise. Is there a procedure in place to allow substantial transport of food aid and other equipment such as temporary shelters through aid corridors? Has there been progress on opening Afghanistan's borders with adjoining countries? These two central issues might contribute substantially to the resolution of the humanitarian catastrophe that confronts the people of Afghanistan.
Since 11 September the Taliban regime has held a very strict view about who may cross the border. However, local personnel have been working with UN personnel inside Afghanistan since 1998. This has resulted in some successful efforts to get food into the country, but not to the desired extent given the number of vulnerable persons in Afghanistan who, according to estimates, will require assistance in the coming months. It is important to point out that food stocks are being put in place. The UN High Commission for Refugees is preparing for a possible increase in refugees of 1.5 million and seeking to open six new camps along the Pakistan border with a capacity for 300,000 people. New camps along the Iranian border will, similarly, provide for 200,000 people. The World Food Programme is also working flat out to provide the necessary food stocks for those people at risk within
Afghanistan's borders.
We have provided £4 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan since the start of this year. We are vigorously pursuing a number of humanitarian priorities, namely, getting aid to the people of Afghanistan before the onset of winter, positioning emergency food stocks, protecting aid workers and the vulnerable population and keeping borders open to refugees. A further major hindrance to this work, for which the Taliban has been vociferously criticised by the UN Secretary General, is its taking of food for its own purposes. Ireland Aid is in close contact with partner NGOs and international organisations daily to ensure the aid we are providing gets to those who need it in the most effective manner. During my discussions with the OCHA, Ms McCaskey with whom we spoke there, informed us that the OCHA believes somewhere in the region of 54,000 tonnes of food per month will need to be made available to Afghanistan. That will be a huge challenge.
