Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In order to get a unanimous statement at the UN Security Council, compromises sometimes have to be made. We had choices to make. We could write a statement that Ireland would have written on its own and to which very few would have been listening, or we could write a statement through negotiation with the other 14 member states, in particular the five permanent member states and the three African members of the Security Council. We did the latter. The statement was strong, particularly on sexual violence, the need for an independent investigation and the need for humanitarian access to all of the Tigray region, which has been hugely problematic. We could not get a clear wording on the need for Eritrean troops to leave into the statement but I, separately, have been publicly vocal on that matter, as has the European Union. We are continuing to work with our colleagues in the European Union to keep the Ethiopian Government in the spotlight in order to ensure it does everything that is appropriate on this issue. Most importantly, we must continue to advocate at all levels for a ceasefire across the board and for a full, independent investigation so we can hold to account the people who have committed crimes against humanity. There is certainly growing evidence, particularly in the case of sexual violence, that crimes have been committed against humanity.

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