Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms van Rensburg. I was very keen that we would explore issues of the future of the United Nations, with particular reference to reform, but we are not going to have time for that. I acknowledge that 54 African countries are members of the UN, which amounts to something just under 30% of the total number of UN member countries, yet there is not anything like a full-time or permanent member from Africa on the Security Council. This is an issue Ireland has raised in the past and continues to work on. It is important because it is more than just an historical justice; rather, it is an imbalance that does not reflect Africa’s power, influence and authority throughout the world. Much more work must be done in the area of equitable representation from Africa at the United Nations. I say that having regard to the fact each of the six of our guests made some form of reference to the UN and the importance of that body. Of course, Ireland, as a country not involved or engaged in any international military organisation, places much emphasis internationally on our multilateralism, and a fundamental and leading part of that is our membership of the UN. This is something on which Ireland and all our guests' countries can work into the future, as well as on the many other issues such as trade, development, climate and migration, all of which have been mentioned during this meeting.

I thank our guests for attending. The meeting has certainly given us, as committee members, an appetite for much more engagement with their countries bilaterally and, indeed, collectively insofar as we can view Africa as a collective, but perhaps through the African Union or other organisations. We would be very glad to continue our work with the countries represented at this meeting, especially from a bilateral perspective, as we have been doing with Morocco, Egypt and others. I thank our guests for marking Africa Day with us. We wish them a happy weekend acknowledging the importance of the relationship between Ireland and Africa and taking the opportunity to celebrate that relationship as well as to look forward to the great deal of further work and engagement that Ireland can undertake with each of the countries' governments and peoples, respectively. Committee members and guests might assemble outside the committee room after the meeting.

Finally, I must not let this occasion pass without referring to the air tragedy in Iran. We offer a word of condolence to our colleagues in Iran and the people there on the sudden and tragic demise of President Raisi, the foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others in the helicopter crash a couple of days ago.