Enda Kenny
Ceist:157 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent meeting with UN Secretary General in New York; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7635/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 8 March 2005
Ceisteanna (124)
Freagraí scríofa
The main purpose of my meeting with the Secretary General and his officials in New York on 8 February was to review prospects and preparations for next September's summit meeting at the United Nations and to explore with the Secretary General how Ireland might best contribute to a successful outcome.
At the summit Heads of State and Government will review the implementation of the millennium summit declaration and examine progress in achieving the millennium development goals. At the same time they will seek agreement on reforms, including institutional reforms, to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the UN system. The Secretary General will later this month make some core proposals to act as a basis for agreement on a balanced outcome in September that would equip the UN to meet the wide range of threats and challenges it faces today and enhance momentum towards the achievement of the millennium development goals.
At our meeting the Secretary General, as he has on a number of occasions, commended Ireland's steadfast work both nationally and within the European Union to support the United Nations, including in the area of peacekeeping. He was particularly appreciative of our continued readiness to participate in peacekeeping in Africa. He warmly welcomed and accepted my offer that he avail of Ireland's standing and profile in the United Nations to help build support for a positive outcome at September's summit. During the coming months I intend to engage in a range of international contacts to help build support for such an outcome and will remain in close contact with the Secretary General in this process.
We also discussed a number of pressing international issues of peace and security including the Middle East and Sudan. I reiterated to the Secretary General Ireland's strong support for the referral of alleged human rights abuses in Darfur to the International Criminal Court.
I took the opportunity to brief the Secretary General on Ireland's response to the devastation caused by the tsunami and on impressions gained during my visit to the affected region as well as on the steps taken by the Government to ensure that the very substantial sums of money raised by the Irish people and those provided by the Government are spent in an effective manner and are of direct benefit to those most in need of support. We also discussed the need for a civilian rapid response capacity to deal with such major humanitarian crises.
I also met the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Louise Fréchette, and the President of the General Assembly, Jean Ping, and had very interesting and useful exchanges with both.
I had a number of in depth discussions with senior members of the United Nations Secretariat including the recently appointed Chief of Staff of the UN Secretary General, Mark Malloch Brown. This meeting provided an opportunity for a detailed discussion of the practical and policy issues involved in the preparations for the September summit. We also reviewed the impact of the interim report of the independent inquiry committee into the management of the UN's Oil for Food Programme and the need for urgent remedial action in response to the report. We also reviewed general management issues in the UN system.
The meetings confirmed my view that the September summit represents a critical opportunity to enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness of the multilateral system with the UN at its core. It is incumbent on Ireland and all members of the United Nations to do what they can to ensure that this opportunity is not wasted.