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

The essential requirement for effective action by the United Nations in the face of any challenge or threat is political will on the part of the member states and particularly the permanent members of the Security Council. The undoubted achievements of the UN Organisation over the years amply demonstrate its capacity to act decisively and effectively when the necessary political will is forthcoming. This requires that all member states demonstrate, and co-operate to ensure respect for, the norms that have been established to regulate relations between states and to protect the personal rights of all members of the collective human family wherever they may reside. These include respect for the rule of law, including the legal norms governing the sovereignty of states and the protection of human rights. Nevertheless, UN structures and systems are certainly capable of improvement and Ireland has been in the vanguard of countries working towards and for reform. In particular, the functioning of the UN Security Council is crucial for the effectiveness of the whole UN system as primary responsibility for ensuring the maintenance of international peace and security is vested in the Council under the UN Charter.

Ireland and its partners in the accountability, coherence and transparency, ACT, group, comprising 21 states across the world, have been actively promoting new approaches to the work of the Security Council. A particular concern is the veto power given to the permanent members of the Security Council in 1945 which has often proved an impediment to effective action or, in some cases, to any action at all. Accordingly, we welcome the initiative put forward by France and actively supported by Mexico to better regulate the use of the veto power by permanent members of the Security Council. While we consider this power an anachronism, and something which should eventually be abolished, the French proposal is a necessary step in the right direction and deserving of support.

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