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

I recently spent some time in the United States and had the opportunity of spending four days at the UN General Assembly attending several important and positive meetings covering a range of issues. With particular reference to the French proposal on the veto, the permanent five, P5, would make a mutual commitment to the effect that if the council were required to make a decision regarding, for example, a mass crime, they would suspend their right to veto.

A key element of this would be the mechanism used to determine that a mass atrocity has been committed. This has yet to be determined. There are ongoing meetings and discussions in that regard.

With regard to the question of whether the French proposal might be accepted by the five permanent members of the Security Council, I assure the House that there is, in all likelihood, little current prospect of the proposal winning the support of Russia or China. Even if it is not adopted in the near future, however, at least it has legitimised a debate about the ways in which the veto held by the five permanent members of the Security Council - a prerogative which is deeply unpopular - might gradually be dismantled. France is working hard to consult the UK and the US because it knows the support of both is crucial if Russia and China are to be put under real pressure on this issue. The UK has indicated its openness to the French proposal. The US has not ruled out such an arrangement. Russia and China have expressed reservations and are sceptical. I assure the Deputy of Ireland's positive and active engagement in making progress with these matters, in so far as that is possible.

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