Ireland, 2008

Mr. President, let me begin

by warmly congratulating you on your election. You

have my very best wishes for a successful term in

office.

This is my first opportunity to address the

General Assembly as Ireland’s Foreign Minister. It is a

great honour and privilege to do so. Ireland believes

strongly in the purposes, principles and potential of the

United Nations. Formed in the shadow of global war,

the United Nations embodies the idea of our common

humanity. We have a shared interest as well as a moral

obligation to act on that common humanity in the

world.

In this new century, when we speak of the

international community, it cannot be as a vague

platitude or as a faceless scapegoat. Global challenges

confront us: climate change, economic turbulence, food

and energy crises, HIV/AIDS and terrorism, among

others. We can either be an international community

passively divided and at the mercy of those forces, or

we can be a community, in the true sense, of active

participants united by our sense of mutual solidarity,

our common sense of justice, our common desire for a

better and peaceful future and a shared commitment to

international law and the human rights of all.

The United Nations is the indispensable

framework for realizing the potential of that

community, as it has shown again and again. Ireland is

proud to have played its distinctive part in that history

and we are absolutely committed to playing a full part

in its future. And let us be clear — the challenges we

face have intensified in the past year.

Over the past period, we have witnessed the

potential fallout from the financial crisis for all

countries and not least, of course, for developing

countries. The depth of their concerns has been heard

from this rostrum. We have all failed as yet to reach

agreement on a balanced world trade deal. Rising fuel

and food prices have exacted a particular toll on the

world’s most vulnerable and poor. The effects of

climate change, likewise, are placing a

disproportionate burden on those least equipped to

cope. More than halfway towards the 2015 target date

for the Millennium Development Goals and despite

significant progress in some areas, we have not made

enough headway towards meeting them. The United

Nations must continue to take the lead in those efforts,

while each of us as political leaders must recognize our

duty to take effective action in support of goals that are

only increasing in relevance and urgency.

The world needs a strong and effective United

Nations, and that is why, as a committed Member

State, Ireland has long supported efforts to reform and

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improve its operation. I very much welcome and

appreciate the priority that Secretary-General Ban has

attached to that task. As he said when he took up

office, “the true measure of success of the United

Nations is not how much we promise, but how much

we deliver for those who need us most” (A/61/PV.31,

p. 9). Every Member State must play its part in

ensuring that it can fulfil its role. Ireland is therefore

proud of the contribution it has made to the reform

process.

Most recently, we were pleased to work closely

with our good friend and colleague, Tanzania, in

facilitating consultations on greater system-wide

coherence in the United Nations, a vitally important

part of the reform agenda. I would like to take the

opportunity to express my deep appreciation of the

constructive spirit in which Member States and United

Nations agencies and staff approached the consultation

process, chaired by Ambassadors Kavanagh and

Mahiga. Their report was welcomed in the consensus

resolution adopted by the General Assembly on

15 September. A lot, of course, remains to be done. We

should not shy away from issues just because they are

difficult to tackle.

Taking forward the reform agenda does not, of

course, mean losing sight of the real strengths and

achievements of the United Nations, especially in

peacekeeping. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary

of the first occasion on which personnel of the Irish

Defence Forces wore the blue beret. In the five decades

since, they have worn it with pride and distinction. I

would like to take this opportunity to offer them and

those with whom they have served my deepest personal

gratitude.

Of course, as the world continues to evolve, so

will our approach to peacekeeping. Regional

organizations, such as the European Union, can and

should be expected to play an increasingly prominent

role in undertaking Security Council-mandated

operations. I am particularly pleased that one such

mission, the EU military operation in the Republic of

Chad, is under the very effective leadership of an

Irishman, Lieutenant General Pat Nash.

Last year, my predecessor expressed the hope

that, after almost 40 years, it would no longer be

necessary for Irish ministers to brief this Assembly on

the search for peace on the island of Ireland. I am

pleased to confirm that the task we now confront in

Ireland is no longer building peace, but securing and

underpinning it for the generations to come. Our

history has, however, made us particularly conscious of

the huge human cost of conflict and the moral

obligation we carry to prevent and to resolve it. We in

Ireland owe a debt of gratitude to all in the

international community who lent their support to our

search for peace. In that search, we were genuinely part

of a community — concentric circles of other nations

and international actors that provided goodwill and

momentum, moral support, concrete assistance,

independent mediation and facilitation when needed.

Anchoring the process was a central partnership

between the British and Irish Governments. So we

know the good that can be done and we now feel a

special duty to try and repay some of that debt in kind.

That is why my Government has established a

conflict resolution unit within my ministry as a channel

through which we can make our contribution. Its aim is

to complement the work of others, especially that of

the United Nations. It will, in part, draw on the lessons

we have learned from our own experiences. As part of

that work, Nuala O’Loan, formerly the Police

Ombudsman in Northern Ireland, who played a

significant personal role in building confidence in the

new policing arrangements there, is now serving as our

Special Envoy to Timor-Leste.

Ireland’s commitment to peacekeeping,

peacebuilding and conflict resolution extends to

removing not only the causes of conflict, but also the

means. Creating a secure and stable world demands

effective arms control and disarmament and the

elimination of nuclear weapons. Ireland was very

proud last May to host the diplomatic conference that

delivered the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an

historic agreement to ban the production and use of

those pernicious instruments of war. The Convention is

strong and ambitious. Each State party undertakes

never, in any circumstances, to use, develop, produce,

acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer cluster munitions,

or to assist any other party in doing so. It is

comprehensive and it provides for no exceptions. It

sets new standards for assistance to victims and also,

importantly, for clearing affected areas. I would once

again like to express the deep appreciation of my

Government for the constructive approach taken by

Member States. Without it, such a significant step

forward could not have been taken. The Convention

will open for signature in Oslo in December, and

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Ireland will be among the first signatories. I strongly

urge all Governments to do likewise.

Peace and security must be accompanied by a

firm commitment to the protection and promotion of

human rights. That remains at the very core of the

United Nations mandate. In this, the sixtieth

anniversary year of the adoption of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, we must act with

renewed determination to make its promises a living

reality for all of our people. That means improving the

United Nations capacity to tackle abuses effectively

whenever and wherever they arise, ensuring a strong

and vigilant Human Rights Council.

This is also the tenth anniversary of the adoption

of the Rome Statute establishing the International

Criminal Court (ICC). It has already carved out a vital

role for itself in bringing an end to impunity and in

demanding that the rule of law be upheld. Ireland

remains strongly supportive of the ICC and its

mandate, and urges all Member States to cooperate

fully with its work.

Eradicating world hunger and ending poverty is

one of the most urgent tasks we face. Realizing the

vision of the Millennium Development Goals is a great

challenge, but it can be met. I am very proud that

Ireland is now the sixth largest aid donor in the world

in terms of gross national product percentage. It is, I

believe, a reflection of our values of solidarity and

respect for human dignity. As a committed member

State, I am also gratified that the European Union and

its member States continue to be the world’s leading

donor, accounting for some 60 per cent of the world’s

official development assistance.

In support of our efforts to secure the Millennium

Development Goals, Ireland established a hunger task

force to determine the most effective contribution we

can make to tackling the root causes of hunger,

particularly in Africa. Comprising 15 renowned

international experts, its report was launched by our

Prime Minister, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, last week with

the participation of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The report has highlighted three particular areas for

focus. First, we need to improve small-holder

productivity in Africa; the agricultural sector has been

neglected for too long. Secondly, we need increased

focus on maternal and infant undernutrition; a bad start

makes life an uphill struggle from day one. Thirdly, the

report states clearly that we do not need new

commitments, but rather delivery on the ones we have

already entered into. Those important messages will

guide our work in the period ahead.

Let me turn now to the situation in the Middle

East. The first Irish peacekeepers 50 years ago were

deployed to serve with the United Nations mission in

Lebanon. It is therefore a particular source of sadness

to me that, despite the great efforts that have been

made down the years, we do not yet have lasting peace

in the Middle East, especially between the Palestinian

people and Israel.

I commend the efforts of all of those who are

prepared to take the political risks necessary to turn

that situation around. In particular, I welcome and

support the dialogue that President Abbas and Prime

Minister Olmert have engaged in under the auspices of

the Annapolis process. I hope that what they have

achieved together in their talks can be built upon in the

immediate period ahead, and that it will result in what

we all wish to see — a just agreement, a lasting peace

and a more prosperous future for their people.

Improving conditions on the ground in the

Palestinian territories, including, very importantly, the

economic and social situation, would, I believe, make a

significant and critical contribution to creating the right

context for talks to succeed. In that regard, I have

called many times for an end to the construction of

illegal settlements not only because it is right to do so,

but also because it would send a strong and welcome

signal of good faith at a difficult and uncertain time.

Israel needs urgently to listen to the voice — the

concerned voice — of the international community on

the settlement issue.

The situation in the Sudan and the tragic

suffering of the people of Darfur urgently demand our

attention. I strongly urge the Sudanese Government

and the rebel groups to return to the negotiating table

and to engage seriously with Chief Mediator Bassolé.

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in

Darfur must be allowed to deploy fully and speedily,

and a secure environment must be created to allow the

humanitarian community to carry out its important

work. A culture of impunity cannot prevail. Those

responsible for human rights abuses in Darfur must be

brought to justice. The Government in Khartoum must

face up to its responsibilities to protect its citizens, to

provide security and to ensure justice is done.

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In Zimbabwe, the recent agreement to form a

power-sharing Government is a moment of opportunity

that must be seized. The people of Zimbabwe, who

have suffered for far too long, deserve a new beginning

and look to their leaders to provide it. Their leaders

must not be found wanting. I look forward to the

delivery of genuine power-sharing, of real political and

economic reform and of the creation of a more open

and free society.

In Burma, we continue to stand with the people in

their demand for greater democracy and human rights,

and we renew in particular our call for the immediate

release of Aung San Suu Kyi and her fellow political

prisoners. It is gravely disappointing that the ruling

military junta has not engaged seriously with the good

offices mission of the Secretary-General, or responded

in any meaningful way to the concerns of the

international community. International pressure must

be maintained on Burma’s leaders, including, and in

particular, by the countries of the region.

Ireland has watched with great distress the recent

conflict in Georgia, including the evidence of the use

of cluster munitions against civilian populations. We

warmly applaud President Sarkozy and the French

presidency of the European Union for their efforts to

secure a settlement. The European Union is deploying

a monitoring mission to Georgia to work alongside

United Nations observers, to which Ireland is proud to

be contributing. We now need to see the full honouring

of commitments entered into, including the full

withdrawal of military forces by early October. I also

urge Russia and Georgia to engage constructively and

in good faith in the discussions scheduled to begin in

Geneva on 15 October.

In closing, I would like to return to where I began

today. As Ireland’s Foreign Minister, I come here to

reaffirm our strong attachment and loyalty to the

United Nations. Whether we wish it or not, we are

being united every day more and more by the common

challenges we all face. The principles and the work of

the United Nations have never been needed more. Its

principles give us a firm foundation. Continuing

reform will give us even stronger tools. What remains

to be proven is our collective will to use them.

The vision shared by all our peoples of a peaceful

and secure world, with justice, human rights and

dignity for all, can be realized only in cooperation with

others of like mind. For Ireland’s part, we are

determined not to be a passive member of that formal

community of nations.

With the support and the help of others, the

foundations of a future of peace have, as I have

reported, been laid on the island of Ireland. We are now

determined to honour that debt and continue a long

tradition of active engagement in the world by

contributing our energy and our initiative where we can

make a difference. It is only through such a

commitment by each of us and through this body that

we can make the international community more than

the sum of its parts, more than the sum of its fears, and

instead make it what it was meant to be when the

United Nations was established — the sum of all our

hopes.