Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps and contributions which Ireland has taken towards helping in the task of reforming the United Nations; if he intends to bring the report dealing with this matter recently submitted to Mr. Kofi Annan before Dáil Éireann; if he would welcome a debate on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7718/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is referring to the report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which was issued on 2 December 2004.

The high level panel was established in November 2003 by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to examine how best collective action can meet current and future threats to peace and security. Specifically the panel was tasked with analysing current and future challenges to international peace and security and assessing how best collective action can meet these challenges. It was asked to recommend changes necessary to ensure effective collective action including but not limited to a review of the principal organs of the United Nations.

A central priority of Ireland's Presidency of the European Union was to mobilise EU support for the multilateral system and the United Nations. Ireland drafted and coordinated the EU's contribution to the work of the panel and some key elements of the latter are in fact reflected in the panel's recommendations.

In publicly welcoming the report of the panel in December I said that it made a compelling case for the multilateral system as the best way for all states working together to confront threats and challenges to security and development in today's world.

From Ireland's perspective the report contains two critically important elements. First, it makes the case convincingly for a new and more comprehensive approach to security, making it clear that effective collective security demands that we address poverty, disease and underdevelopment as well as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. This reflects the central premise of the EU's contribution to the work of the panel, that there can be no hierarchy of threats.

Second, the report makes a number of specific recommendations for the prevention of threats including terrorism, poverty, internal conflict and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as on the institutional reform of the UN. Many of these are sound and constructive and worthy of support. A particular emphasis of the panel which I strongly endorse is the need for new institutional arrangements to ensure sustained and coordinated multilateral support for peace building in countries emerging from conflict and at risk of sliding back into conflict.

At the UN next September heads of states and governments will review the implementation of the millennium summit declaration and examine progress in achieving the millennium development goals. At the same time they will seek agreement on reforms including institutional reforms to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the UN system.

Later this month Secretary General Annan, having reflected on the panel's recommendations and the reaction to them and also on the recently issued report of the millennium project coordinated by Professor Jeffery Sachs will make some core proposals of his own to act as a basis for agreement on a balanced outcome at the September summit.

The task now ahead of us is to work with Secretary General Annan to prepare effectively for next September's summit and to ensure that it adopts a positive package of measures that will set us on course for the implementation of the millennium summit declaration and the achievement of the millennium development goals and that will enhance the effectiveness of and restore confidence in the system of collective security based on the UN Charter.

Secretary General Annan has on a number of occasions commended Ireland's steadfast work both nationally and within the European Union in support of the United Nations. Most recently when I met him in New York last month he warmly welcomed and accepted Ireland's offer to use its standing and profile in the United Nations to help build support for a positive outcome at September's summit that can attract broad support and equip the UN to meet the wide range of threats and challenges it faces today. During the coming months I intend to engage in a range of international contacts to help build support for such an outcome.

The report of the Secretary General's high level panel and Ireland's contribution to the process of UN reform have been the subject of a number of questions in this House and of discussion in the Seanad in recent years. I welcome this interest which reflects the broad support in both Houses for an effective multilateral system and the strong commitment of successive Governments to the United Nations. I am open to the suggestion of a debate on prospects for the September summit, which I would suggest should await the publication of the Secretary-General's proposals and will be pleased to respond to Deputies regarding progress between now and September.