It is my great honour
to represent Ireland today at the General Assembly.
Regrettably, this gathering comes at a dangerous time in
global history. Delegates here represent a world facing
many challenges, but they are challenges that can be
tackled with unity of purpose and surmounted through
strong leadership, especially from this Organization,
the United Nations. Indeed, the United Nations must be
at the vanguard of efforts to eradicate terrorism where
it flourishes, to preserve the sovereignty of States
where it is threatened and to promote and protect peace
and human rights where those essential components of
human dignity and human happiness are lacking.
In my address this afternoon, I will focus on
the conflicts that beset the Middle East and Eastern
Europe, and I will do so in a way that reflects the
foreign policy tenets of my country: first, dialogue
and compromise as the solution to intractable conflicts
between peoples; secondly, respect for the rule of law
and solidarity within the international community
when a democratic State is threatened; thirdly, a strong
commitment to peacekeeping while preserving Irish
military neutrality; fourthly, the critical importance of
development; and last but not least, the promotion of
human rights, in particular the rights of minorities and
of women and girls in this troubled world.
I will begin by outlining some thoughts on the
importance of reform of the United Nations and its
Security Council. We see a world beset by warfare
and terror on many fronts. Heart-rending reports of
escalating casualty and refugee numbers, the slaughter
of innocents, the suffering of children and vulnerable
adults in Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Ukraine and many other
conflicts dominate the news on our airwaves and
television news and on the Internet. The people we
represent in the Assembly rightly expect the United
Nations to be a source of action. Regrettably, too
often, they see an institution that seems hamstrung and
stymied in situations where it needs to be both decisive
and strong.
It is not that we lack the necessary instruments; the
many achievements of this great Organization amply
demonstrate its capacity to act decisively and effectively
when the necessary political will is forthcoming. For
the United Nations to meet the manifold, complex
and grave challenges that are dominating this year’s
session of the Assembly, the Organization must review
its working methods and priorities. Resources must be
directed to the areas of greatest need and used with the
utmost efficiency.
In particular, we must see new approaches to the
work of the Security Council — something Ireland
and its partners in the Accountability, Coherence and
Transparency Group have been actively promoting.
While Ireland would like to see the veto power in the
Council ultimately abolished, we strongly welcome
the initiative of France, supported by Mexico, to
better regulate the use of that power by the Council’s
permanent members. Moreover, Ireland supports an
increase in the membership of the Security Council to
more closely reflect regional balances as well as the
current realities of population and economic weight in
the world.
The challenge of achieving peace in the Middle East
remains as great as ever. As Member States, we must do
more to assist the United Nations in its vital life-saving
efforts in Syria and the many other humanitarian
challenges confronting the broader region. I want to
pay particular tribute here to the heroic role of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East and its brave and dedicated
staff in Gaza, 11 of whom tragically lost their lives
during the recent horrific conflict. We are all indebted
to Pierre Krähenbühl and his colleagues for providing
an indispensable lifeline to the people of Gaza over
many years.
Our goal must be to ensure that there is no return to
the recurrent cycles of violence that we have witnessed
in Gaza and southern Israel on three occasions now,
most devastatingly during July and August. Each cycle
of violence appears to harden attitudes on both sides of
the conflict, and yet, ultimately, no one can want peace
more than those most directly affected by its absence.
It is widely acknowledged that the achievement of
a lasting peace requires that the underlying issues that
gave rise to the most recent bout of violence must be
definitively addressed. The closures and restrictions
that have applied to Gaza for seven long years now must
be brought to an end. Equally, there must be assurances
for all Israelis and Palestinians that they will not
be subjected to indiscriminate violence, whether
that violence comes in the form of rocket attacks
targeting Israel or retaliatory strikes with devastating
consequences for Gaza and its people.
It is also now long past time for the attainment
of a comprehensive peace between the Israeli and
Palestinian peoples. None of us is under any illusions
about the difficult and painful compromises that will
be involved. In essence, however, I believe that most
Israelis and Palestinians recognize that the only true
basis for peace and security between them lies in the
realization of a just, negotiated two-State solution. It
remains vital that all actions or policies that impede
that prospect be avoided.
While there is at least a clear vision of the difficult
compromises necessary to achieve a lasting peace
between the peoples of Israel and Palestine, the situation
in neighbouring Syria appears at the moment to present
an even greater challenge. Over the past three and a
half years, almost 200,000 people have lost their lives
at the hands of the State and militant groups in that
vicious conflict. Ultimately, the solution to Syria’s
civil war is not a military one. I strenuously urge all in
the international community to fully support Special
Envoy De Mistura in his efforts to promote a political
settlement based on the principles of the Geneva
communiqué of 30 June 2012. The flagrant violation of
international law by all sides in the Syrian conflict must
be confronted and referred to the International Criminal
Court. All sides, particularly the Al-Assad regime, must
comply with their obligations under Security Council
resolutions 2165 (2014) and 2139 (2014), and put an
end to their obstruction of vital humanitarian efforts
and to obscenities such as besieging communities and
attempting to starve them into submission.
The growth of the extremism we are now witnessing
across the region is a cause for significant concern and
one that I know is shared by everyone in the Assembly.
The bloodlust and inhumanity that the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) is displaying in those countries
has shocked and appalled all civilized people. The
destruction and displacement of the ancient Christian
communities of northern Iraq has been harrowing to
witness. The gratuitous and almost casual approach
to that most gruesome form of murder, beheading; the
barbaric sexual violence perpetrated against women and
girls; the base corruptness of putting military weapons
in the hands of children; the scapegoating of people
based on their ethnicity or religion, whether Christian,
Yazidi, Kurdish, Sunni, Shia or Jewish — all of that,
taken together, harks back to a mentality and a culture
we thought had long been consigned to the dustbin of
history. The rise of ISIS, the continued activities of
Al-Qaida and the growing strength of Boko Haram
make it clear that there is no room for complacency
in the international community when it comes to the
growth of extremism. We must unite and mobilize to
confront this threat, and we must do so with a real sense
of urgency.
Ukraine is the most dangerous political crisis to
occur in Europe for several decades. The situation
there has profound implications for the viability and
future of an international system that upholds the rule
of law. The actions of the Russian Federation, first in
Crimea and then in eastern Ukraine, clearly contravene
a wide range of international agreements. We should
remember first and foremost the deplorable violence
that has been inflicted on innocent civilians in Ukraine
over many months and the serious humanitarian crisis
that has ensued. There can be no military solution to
this crisis. We firmly support the path of diplomatic
dialogue and welcome President Poroshenko’s peace
plan. We were encouraged by the Minsk agreement
reached earlier this month within the framework of
the Trilateral Contact Group. A sustainable political
solution must be based on the principle of respect for
Ukraine’s sovereignty and with clear guarantees on
border security, the disarmament of all illegal groups
and the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Ireland has a proud tradition of involvement in
United Nations peacekeeping missions all over the
world, beginning in 1958. Our troops have made an
important contribution to international peace and
stability; 82 of them have made the ultimate sacrifice. I
take this opportunity to recall and salute all those who
have fallen in United Nations peacekeeping operations
since we met for the general debate a year ago. Today,
some 370 Irish men and women are serving on United
Nations peacekeeping missions, the majority in the
Middle East. The environment in which they serve
has become increasingly complex and challenging. As
it is for the Department for Peacekeeping Operations,
the safety and security of our personnel is a very high
priority for us, and I warmly welcome the Secretary-
General’s announcement that there will be a review of
United Nations peacekeeping. That should ensure that
the Organization retains the capacity to promote peace
and stability internationally.
The Assembly can rest assured that Irish men
and women will continue to wear the blue beret with
pride in service of the United Nations and in pursuit
of a better world. Last week, at the high-level meeting
on peacekeeping hosted by the Secretary-General and
Vice-President Biden of the United States, I was pleased
to announce an initiative by my Government to deliver
a new programme for training African peacekeepers
that will include a specific focus on areas such as the
protection of civilians, gender sensitivity, human rights,
leadership training and logistics.
The full and equal participation of women is
another essential component in building peaceful,
stable societies. Women are key agents of change
and must be full protagonists in our ongoing global
story. Political will is a crucial element in driving
women’s empowerment and gender equality going
forward. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) was
a milestone in recognizing that reality, and subsequent
resolutions, most recently resolution 2122 (2013),
demonstrate our resolve to pursue the goal of women’s
full and empowered participation in the political
process. The current agenda of the United Nations
includes a welcome and necessary increase in the focus
on tackling the scourge of sexual violence in armed
conflict.
But we must translate our global commitment into
concrete action. Achieving real gender equality requires
a commitment from all of us here, men and women. It
is a commitment that Ireland is proud to have made,
and next January we launch our second national action
plan on women, peace and security. It is just part of our
ongoing commitment to ensuring that women and girls
can reach their full potential, live a life free from fear
and fully take their place at the decision-making table.
The global threat posed by the spread of Ebola in
West Africa is a reminder that not all the challenges we
face are man-made. Ireland is active in addressing this
epidemic in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Security Council
resolution 2177 (2014), sponsored by 130 Member
States, indicates the seriousness with which the world
regards the problem and the need for urgent action on
the part of the United Nations.
Next year, 2015, will be a critical one in the
fight to end extreme poverty and hunger. We have
15 months to maximize progress under the Millennium
Development Goals and a mere 12 in which to negotiate
a new framework for international development. That
framework must mark an important shift to sustainable
development, with clear and ambitious targets that can
help to end extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition in
a single generation. Ireland continues to play its part at
the United Nations and with our partners on the ground.
We have focused sharply on the continuing scandals of
hunger, child stunting and maternal mortality in a world
of plenty. I am pleased that last week the Human Rights
Council adopted a draft resolution, led by Ireland, on
the preventable mortality and morbidity of children
under 5. It is indeed deplorable that some 6.6 million
children under the age of 5 die annually, mainly from
preventable and treatable causes.
Ireland is working with its partners in Africa on
the devastating impact of climate change, especially
on smallholder agriculture. Last week we joined the
Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture. On Thursday, I
co-hosted a meeting here at the United Nations in support
of the Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger Challenge.
And days earlier, in Dublin, UNICEF Ireland brought
to me the voices of Ireland’s young people, calling on
us to strengthen our efforts and reminding me, in their
words, that “It’s about us”. Ireland’s commitment to
a more equal, inclusive and sustainable future for the
world’s children is demonstrated in practice through
our development programme and our work with our
partners in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the extremely
difficult economic circumstances of recent years, we
are proud that we have stabilized funding for our aid
programme. The fight to end poverty and hunger will
remain a central tenet of our foreign policy.
Recent events worldwide have demonstrated that
human rights and fundamental freedoms continue to
be violated and threatened, particularly in times of
conflict. In many parts of the world today, brave women
and men seek to highlight and address abuses of human
rights, and to stand up for those who are oppressed or
without a voice. I salute the courage of those human
rights defenders and pledge that we in Ireland will
continue to work for decisive action, whether in the
United Nations or the European Union, in order to
support them. As a member of the Human Rights
Council, Ireland has sought to highlight the important
contribution of civil society to advancing human rights
and building democratic societies.
Last week, the Council adopted by consensus
the significant resolution 2178 (2014), led by Ireland,
calling on States to create and maintain a safe and
enabling environment in which civil society can
operate. We strongly condemn all forms of persecution
and discrimination based on religion or belief. The
persecution of Christians and other minorities in the
Middle East, and the recent rise of anti-Semitic attacks,
particularly in a number of European countries, are
causes of grave concern for me. Too often throughout
history, the world has looked the other way when
vulnerable minorities were being targeted, often as a
prelude to a more serious conflict.
On a more positive note, as a former Minister for
Children and Youth Affairs in Ireland, I felt particularly
honoured last week to ratify the third Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, reaffirming
the commitment of my Government to the protection
and promotion of the rights of children in Ireland.
In conclusion, I believe that at its most effective this
great Organization, the United Nations, is a force for
good in the world and has much untapped potential. The
undoubted achievements in areas, such as peacekeeping,
conflict resolution, development and humanitarian
action, to which Ireland is proud to contribute, should
renew our faith in our collective ability and inspire us
to meet the challenges that confront us now and many
of those that will lie ahead in the future.