Global Policy Forum

What Will Ireland Bring to the Security Council?

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Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland
Extracts

Ireland is a candidate for the UN Security Council for the term 2001-2002. It is almost two decades since Ireland last sought election to the Council. We previously served for a single two year term, in 1981/1982, following a one year split term in 1962.

Ireland believes that the Security Council must be broadly representative of the membership of the United Nations and that membership of the Council must be open to all Member States, large or small. Our candiature affirms the principle that all States should have an opportunity to serve on the Council on the basis of fair and reasonable rotation.

Ireland will bring the perspective of a small country with a national historical experience that mirrors that of other small and medium sized states in all regions of the world. We will bring our track record of commitment to the work of the United Nations. We will bring a deeply held conviction that there can be no real security without economic and social development.

Above all, we will bring our promise to work tirelessly to ensure that the Security Council remains the ultimate embodiment of international co-operation in the cause of peace and advancing rights and dignity of all peoples.

Since joining the United Nations, Ireland has vigorously supported the Charter and key UN activities. The defining characteristics of our membership are:

  • Peacekeeping - Ireland is among the most active participants in UN peacekeeping operations. Since 1958, our defence and police forces have served some 45,000 individual missions with UN peacekeeping operations. We currently provide approximately 720 personnel to UN peacekeeping, placing us among the leading troop-contributing countries. We intend to maintain that strong contribution.

  • Disarmament - The Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty originated in an Irish initiative at the UN General Assembly in 1958; Ireland was the first country to ratify the Treat. We continue that tradition. In 1998, Ireland and a group of like-minded Member States launched the Declaration "Towards a Nuclear Weapons Free World - A New Agenda".

  • Development - Ireland strongly supports the UN role in international development and in seeking to bridge unacceptable economic and social divions between developed and developing countries; Ireland has one of the fastest growing development cooperation programs in the world. (The Irish Aid budget has grown from the equivalnet of 0.16% of GNP in 1992 to an estimated 0.35% of GNP in 1999.) Ireland is committed to making steady progress towards the UN target of 0.7% of GNP.

  • Human Rights - Ireland plays an active role at the United Nations in the promotion and protection of human rights ans fundamental freedoms for all; Ireland currently chairs the UN Commission on Human Rights.

    Our Vision of the United Nations

    Ireland wants to see the United Nations play a dynamic and effective role in responding to the challenges of the 21st century; challenges of peace building and peacmaking; advancing sustainable development for all countries and especially the least developed; strengthening the normative and operational work of the United Nations in addressing global priorities that transcend national boundaries.

    Ireland supports an enlargement of he Security Council to make the Council more representative of the general membership of the organization.

    Ireland has also called for more open and transparent decision-making procedures within the Security Council and improved consultation between the Council and other organs such as the General Assembly and the Secretary-General as well with Troop-Contibutors.

    Ireland has consistently favoured a much more restrictive use of veto power of the five permanent Members in decision-making by the Security Council.

    More Information on Security Council Elections 2001
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