Ireland, 2010

Let me begin by warmly

congratulating President Joseph Deiss on his election

and extending the best wishes of the Irish Government

for a successful term in office.

We gather this year against a backdrop of grave

challenges confronting the global community.

Foremost among them is the continuing crisis of global

hunger and poverty. We recognize the obligation upon

us to fulfil the commitments made to the world’s most

vulnerable people when the Assembly adopted the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. Our

Governments have to contend with the most severe

global recession in many decades, but we must limit

the impact of the crisis on those in greatest need. We

must also maintain our commitment to halving the

proportion of people living in extreme poverty and

hunger by 2015.

Firmer action is also called for in responding to

the threat posed by climate change. If the global

community fails to act now on that issue, we will face

a steadily escalating threat to our planet and to human

survival. In recent months, we have also seen the

devastating consequences that natural catastrophes,

such as those that have afflicted Pakistan and Haiti, can

unleash on vulnerable populations.

As with so many of the challenges and threats to

our common security, it is to this great Organization

that we instinctively turn in searching for effective

collective responses. The universality of its

membership gives the United Nations a unique

legitimacy and authority. It brings the nations of the

world together under a common roof. It provides an

invaluable framework for common reflection and

decision-making. With the necessary political will, the

Member States can use the authority and reach of the

United Nations to fashion a more peaceful, equitable

and secure world.

One area requiring our close attention is reform

of the United Nations itself. To improve the

effectiveness of the Organization, we need to ensure

that its structures are fit for their purpose and adjusted

to twenty-first-century realities. Ireland has actively

championed the reform agenda at the United Nations in

recent years, and we will continue to do so.

In that regard, I warmly welcome the

establishment of UN Women. Ireland is committed to

supporting that important new body within the United

Nations system, as it promotes greater gender equality

and works to enhance the rights and well-being of

women worldwide. Also, the benefits to be had from

the “delivering as one” programme — greater coherence

in United Nations development activities and improved

delivery of services at the country level — are clear and

tangible. The valuable work done in those areas

demonstrates that reform can be achieved when it is

clearly shown to be in our collective interest.

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We need to do more, however. There is a pressing

need for a Security Council that is more properly

reflective of twenty-first-century realities and that can

function better and with increased transparency. The

constructive deliberations on that issue within the

informal plenary of the General Assembly should be

intensified, with a view to identifying whether there is

a model for reform that can command broad consensus.

The system for apportioning the expenses of the

Organization should better reflect the principle of

capacity to pay. Ireland and its European Union

partners have highlighted that issue in recent years, and

we will continue to follow it closely. I look forward to

positive results from the review of the existing scale

methodology that the General Assembly has been

mandated to carry out.

Perhaps the greatest challenge we face as a global

community is to take effective action to eliminate

poverty and hunger. We set ourselves clear targets in

adopting the Millennium Development Goals 10 years

ago. Here in New York we have reviewed progress

over the past week. We have welcomed the remarkable

progress that has been generated through our collective

action in areas such as education, child health and the

treatment of HIV and AIDS. But the reality remains

that the actual numbers of people living in poverty and

hunger in our world continue to increase.

In recent times, economic crisis and uncertainty

have devastated the lives of communities already

facing extreme poverty at the same time that they

impose pressure on development budgets worldwide. It

is therefore imperative that developed and developing

countries, in partnership, now examine rigorously

which actions have worked in the fight to end poverty

and which can be pursued more effectively. We also

need to focus more clearly on key sectors.

Since the publication of our Hunger Task Force

report two years ago, Ireland has been arguing that a

more concerted, comprehensive approach is required to

end the continuing crisis of world hunger. The number

of chronically hungry people has risen to almost one

billion. One in four children in the developing world is

undernourished. Failure to address that crisis is

undermining progress across the full range of

development goals. And yet the means are available, at

an affordable cost, to end that scandal. We need to

mobilize the political will to do so.

Last week, with the United States Secretary of

State, I hosted a meeting of international leaders to

build a partnership focusing on nutrition in the first one

thousand days of life, from pregnancy to two years of

age. We recognized and will give our full support to

the Scaling Up Nutrition Initiative of the Secretary

General. Our determination to maintain international

attention to that issue is driven by the conviction that it

is possible in the five years remaining to deliver

measurable progress on our commitment to halve the

proportion of people suffering from extreme poverty

and hunger by 2015.

One of the core tasks of this Organization is to

contribute to the maintenance of international peace

and security. War and conflict are not merely

profoundly destabilizing for the regions in which they

occur; they also threaten the collective security of

mankind. Mobilizing effective international responses

to armed conflict, as and when it occurs, and providing

peacekeeping and peacebuilding support in that context

are high on the United Nations agenda. In that vitally

important area, the United Nations record of

accomplishment speaks for itself, as explicitly

acknowledged through the awarding of the Nobel

Peace Prize in 2001.

There is one conflict that, more than most,

requires the sustained engagement of the international

community at the present time. The direct talks under

way between Israeli and Palestinian leaders present a

historic opportunity to make progress towards a just

and lasting peace in the Middle East. I have no doubt

that progress towards a comprehensive settlement

based on the two-State solution would contribute more

to improving global security than any other single

peacebuilding effort.

I want to salute the leadership and commitment

demonstrated by President Obama, Secretary of State

Clinton and Special Envoy Mitchell in persuading

Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume direct

negotiations. While there have been many critical

junctures in the Middle East peace process in the past,

there can be no doubting the significance of the

initiative which is under way at present. It represents

what is possibly the final opportunity to achieve a just

settlement based on two States living side by side in

peace and security.

President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu

are also to be commended for their personal

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commitment to this process. I encourage both sides to

stay the course and not to be deterred by those who

seek to derail the process. In particular, I urge all

parties to refrain from any actions which could

endanger the negotiation process. It is vital that every

effort be made to keep the process intact. Our own

experience in the Northern Ireland peace process has

shown that political progress can only be achieved

through dialogue. Maximum restraint for the duration

of these talks, which are intended to be — and should

be — completed in 12 months, would be a small price

for lasting peace. In this regard, I echo the statement

made earlier today by the High Representative of the

European Union (EU), Catherine Ashton, regretting the

Israeli decision not to extend the moratorium on

settlements. There could be no greater single

confidence-building measure and practical

demonstration of commitment to peace than a decision

to desist from all settlement construction in the West

Bank and East Jerusalem.

We must not forget Gaza at this critical time. I

witnessed for myself the appalling humanitarian plight

of the people of Gaza when I visited the region last

February. Eighty per cent of them live below the

poverty line. The deprivation and hardship that they are

suffering because of the blockade are painfully

obvious. Yet the people of Gaza show a remarkable

dignity and resilience in the face of living conditions

which are quite simply unacceptable.

I welcome the steps taken so far to improve the

delivery of humanitarian and consumer goods to Gaza.

However, the reality remains that much more needs to

be done in terms of rebuilding Gaza and allowing

normal commercial activity to resume. In particular,

exports must be allowed to resume from Gaza; the vital

work of recovery and reconstruction, which has been

effectively on hold for almost two years, must be

facilitated; and key infrastructural projects identified

by the United Nations must be allowed to proceed.

I would also urge greater support for the

invaluable work performed by the United Nations

Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the

Near East (UNRWA), and its brave and dedicated staff,

on behalf of the Palestinian people. I and others who

have visited Gaza in recent months, such as Secretary-

General Ban and European Union High Representative

Ashton, can testify to the importance of what UNRWA

is doing to support the welfare of Gaza’s inhabitants

and to provide them with some basis for confidence in

a better future.

The lack of progress in resolving the differences

between the international community and Iran over that

country’s nuclear programme is a source of great

concern. I urge the Iranian authorities to engage

constructively on this issue and to comply with the

clear requirements set out in numerous Security

Council and International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA) resolutions, most recently in Security Council

resolution 1929 (2010). There is a sincere wish on the

part of all of us to negotiate seriously and

constructively with Iran on these and other important

international issues. I look forward to such a dialogue

resuming in the near future.

Any discussion with Iran would also need to

include the human rights situation there, about which

there continue to be the gravest concerns. Iran must do

considerably more than it has done up to now to

respect and fulfil the international obligations it has

undertaken in the field of human rights. Recent cases

of human rights abuses are profoundly disturbing, and

Iran must be held fully accountable for them.

The global security which we all wish to achieve

depends crucially on the eradication of the means of

conflict. Efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament and to

prevent the further proliferation of nuclear weapons

have been key objectives for the United Nations since

its inception. They have also been a major foreign

policy priority for successive Irish Governments.

Ireland was the first country to sign and ratify the

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The

successful outcome to last May’s NPT Review

Conference has reinvigorated the Treaty and is an

important milestone on the road towards the eventual

elimination of all nuclear weapons. A key priority for

Ireland is implementation of the action plan on nuclear

disarmament agreed there.

I am pleased that Ireland made an important

contribution at the Review Conference. In particular,

we were able to facilitate progress in relation to

implementation of the 1995 resolution on a zone free

of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. I

hope that the strong spirit of compromise evident at the

Review Conference will be maintained and built upon

in the preparations for the 2012 conference on the

Middle East resolution.

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Ireland is also satisfied with the progress made

over the past couple of years on the issue of cluster

munitions. The Convention on Cluster Munitions,

which was negotiated in Dublin in May 2008, has

entered into force as of 1 August this year. This

landmark development brings closer the prospect of the

elimination of all cluster munitions and of the

unacceptable harm to civilians they cause. We must

now move ahead with implementation of the

Convention and promotion of the widest possible

adherence to its provisions.

Ireland is actively supporting preparations for the

first meeting of States Parties of the Convention in

Vientiane in November. We will continue to show

leadership on this issue and to do all we can to ensure

the worldwide elimination of these atrocious weapons.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the

first deployment of Irish troops under the United

Nations flag. In 1960, just five years after we joined

this Organization, Ireland decided to participate in a

peacekeeping mission to what was then the newly

independent Congo. This began a long and

distinguished tradition of service in United Nations

peacekeeping operations in a wide variety of conflict

situations around the globe. We will continue to

contribute personnel to such missions and to play our

part in the maintenance of international peace and

security. I welcome the constructive discussions which

have taken place within the Special Committee on

Peacekeeping Operations on ways of improving the

future conduct and management of United Nations

peacekeeping missions, following on from Secretary-

General Ban’s recent paper on the New Horizon

Initiative.

This year, Ireland was honoured when our

Permanent Representative, Ambassador Anne

Anderson, took on the role of co-facilitator, along with

South African and Mexican colleagues, of a major

review of the United Nations peacebuilding

architecture. We were very pleased to be able to make

our contribution to this important and wide-ranging

reflection on the work of the Peacebuilding

Commission, five years after its establishment. The

three co-facilitators have submitted a report which

aims to revitalize the Commission and give it renewed

focus and impact. I look forward to positive

consideration by Member States of this report and the

recommendations it makes.

Ireland has also been active in relation to another

set of issues which have a significant bearing on

conflict resolution and peacebuilding. This year marks

the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security

Council resolution 1325 (2000), which, for the first

time, explicitly acknowledged the key role of women

in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We have been

working hard to raise international awareness of this

resolution and to encourage greater implementation of

its provisions by Member States.

As part of our focus on resolution 1325 (2000),

we have been pleased to work with Liberia and Timor-

Leste in conducting important lessons-learned

exercises. A report will be presented to the Secretary-

General shortly on the key findings made in this

process. We are also working to finalize our national

action plan on women, peace and security in the very

near future.

Ireland strongly supports the vital role played by

the United Nations in upholding and defending human

rights around the world. Next year’s review of the

Human Rights Council provides an opportunity to

assess the Council’s performance to date and to

consider how it might be improved and strengthened.

As a candidate for election in 2012, we look forward to

making our own contribution to the work of enhancing

the Council’s performance.

Ireland is also deeply supportive of the work of

the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the

International Tribunals in promoting justice and

combating impunity. I welcome the successful outcome

to the recent Kampala Review Conference of the Rome

Statute of the International Criminal Court, including

in relation to defining the crime of aggression, and I

urge the fullest cooperation on the part of all Member

States with both the ICC and the International

Tribunals.

The appalling human tragedy of Darfur continues

to challenge the international community. I applaud the

courageous efforts of the United Nations personnel and

all of the others on the ground in Darfur who are

working to provide vital humanitarian services.

We hope that all sides in Sudan will continue to

engage in the fullest cooperation in support of the

United Nations/African Union mediation efforts in

Darfur and also in the preparations for the historic

referendum in southern Sudan early next year. Full

implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace

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Agreement still remains fundamental to securing peace

and stability in Sudan as a whole and in the region.

The continuing unjust detention of Aung San Suu

Kyi in Burma epitomizes the fate of prisoners of

conscience everywhere who seek to uphold the values

of democracy and free speech. I call for her immediate

and unconditional release. I also call for the release of

all other political prisoners in Burma and for the

launching of a genuine, inclusive national dialogue.

And I very much endorse Secretary-General Ban’s call

on Burma’s leaders to create the conditions in which

free and fair elections can take place.

In a world where we continue to face enormous

peacebuilding challenges, the Northern Ireland peace

process is an example of what can be achieved with

patience, imagination and strong international support.

This year saw a hugely significant step forward in

Northern Ireland with the devolution of policing and

justice powers to a locally elected Minister accountable

to the Northern Ireland Assembly. That is a major step

towards fulfilling the vision of the Good Friday

Agreement, which was signed 12 years ago.

That Agreement provides a genuine possibility

for political inclusion for all who reject violence. It is

the framework within which the Irish Government,

working in partnership and full cooperation with the

British Government and the Northern Ireland

Executive, is helping to build economic prosperity,

assist communities to move beyond conflict and sow

the seeds for a shared future for all.

The European Union and its 27 member States

are firmly committed to effective multilateralism with

a strong United Nations at its core. We look forward to

further consultations with the Member States of this

Organization on proposed changes to the status of the

European Union in the General Assembly. These

modest adjustments will help the Union to make a

more effective contribution to the work of the

Assembly and of the United Nations. A European

Union speaking with a clear and coherent voice on the

great global challenges that this Organization must

address will, I believe, strengthen the impact and

effectiveness of the United Nations as a whole. That is

something to which Ireland and its EU partners attach

the utmost importance.

We live in times of profound and unsettling

change and daunting global challenges. As we struggle

to deal with these challenges and to chart ways forward

in an insecure world, the United Nations is an

increasingly valuable resource. It remains the

international organization with the greatest potential

for international consensus-building and for the

framing of collective strategies and solutions. At its

heart are the fundamental principles embodied in the

United Nations Charter, principles which have

underpinned the conduct of international relations over

the past 65 years and whose strength and validity is

more apparent today than ever before.

Ireland is steadfastly committed to this

Organization and the principles and values on which it

rests. I very much welcome the General Assembly

President’s emphasis on the need for a strong, inclusive

and open United Nations, and we look forward to

taking part in the consultations which he has indicated

he will be convening. We look to the United Nations as

the indispensable forum for developing effective

multilateralism and for leading international

endeavours towards the creation of a more peaceful,

prosperous and secure world.