Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

Sustainable Development Goals and Ireland's 60th Year of UN Membership: Discussion

2:00 pm

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the ambassador. As a country, we are privileged to have a person of the capacity, calibre and commitment of Mr. Donoghue as our ambassador to the UN. Those of us who have seen him operate in different roles in the past know of his commitment and of his great work on behalf of our country.

The ambassador referred to the formation of the UN 70 years ago in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Reference has often been made at meetings of this committee to the need for a complete restructuring of the United Nations. The organisation has not changed in line with the changes to the geopolitical system across the globe. That system is very different from what is was 70 years ago. Is there any desire within the United Nations for change? Are any of the major countries which control so much of its activity, etc., willing to put in place new structures? The Security Council and other councils of the UN are dominated by a few major powers and blocs. Is there any indication of a willingness to change the structures of the UN?

The ambassador quite rightly referred to our proud record of participation in UN peacekeeping missions and in UN work in general. There has been a strong presence of Permanent Defence Forces personnel from my constituency, Cavan-Monaghan, on UN missions over the years. I recall quite well the pride everyone in the constituency took from local people going on such missions. Some of the most satisfying ceremonies I ever attended were those held to mark the departure of troops on UN missions and those held to welcome them home. The vast majority of our personnel have returned home safe from such missions, which is a major issue. Irish Defence Forces personnel continue to do outstanding peacekeeping work in many difficult locations throughout the world.

The ambassador also referred to the importance of the Addis Ababa conference. That importance is obvious because it will set the scene in terms of what can be achieved by other conferences. An issue of concern is that which relates to civil society space and the post-2015 agenda. Successive Governments have quite rightly prioritised human rights issues, particularly the participation of women. I understand that less and less space is being made available for NGOs and human rights defenders to participate freely in society. Irish representatives on the UN Human Rights Council have championed this issue and they must continue to do so. Is the ambassador satisfied that the draft text adequately highlights the issue of civil society space? In light of Ireland's role as a facilitator of the process, are we somewhat constrained in terms of being a very strong champion and advocate in respect of this very important issue?

Does the European Union share the same views as Ireland in regard to civil society space and the need to tackle this issue head on?

I wish to refer to a few issues that the ambassador raised in his script and oral contribution. In his script he stated: "We are working towards a vision of integrated sustainable development which will be universally applicable while emphasising national ownership and differentiation." That vision is desirable and necessary but it will be difficult to achieve. How can we have universal applicability across different member states and regions when there are differences in societal structure and development, and economic development? Is thought being given to this matter at the moment?

The ambassador mentioned that "a number of targets remain under consideration in the negotiations". Are they critical targets? Are they targets that have not been agreed yet and may be detrimental if agreement is not achieved?

The ambassador mentioned another positive aspect. I was glad to read in his script that there will be "a framework to review progress and implementation" which is essential. One can have the best strategies in the world but if they are not implemented in a timely manner then it will be unsatisfactory.

I wish the ambassador well in his work as a facilitator. I hope he will have an opportunity to refer to the role that the private sector should play in mobilising resources for the least developed countries and their people to ensure that they gain from resources that belong to their homelands.

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