Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 21: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the agenda for reform to be pursued by Ireland with regard to the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33294/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The UN World Summit held last September in New York agreed a balanced and extensive package of UN reforms. I was honoured to have contributed to the summit outcome in my role as one of the envoys appointed by Secretary General Annan to support his recommendations for change aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the UN. These changes must be implemented if today's common challenges in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights are to be overcome.

I fully support Secretary General Annan and General Assembly President Eliasson of Sweden in this crucial implementation phase. At my instruction, Ireland's representation to the UN in New York is giving priority to UN reform in its work, especially as regards the peacebuilding commission, the human rights council and management reform. The peacebuilding commission, PBC, to be established by 31 December 2005, will assist countries emerging from conflicts so that they do not again fall prey to strife. I believe that negotiations in New York must focus on how the PBC will work in practice and in that regard I support the joint establishment of the body by both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

The establishment of the human rights council is another priority for Ireland. While the summit agreed in principle to its establishment, much remains to be done on the detail of its mandate, functions, size and procedural issues. I believe that it should be a standing body, able to meet regularly throughout the year and to address effectively urgent and serious human rights violations as and when they occur. It should retain the best features of the Commission on Human Rights, especially the commission's engagement with civil society and its system of special procedures on country and thematic issues.

Agreement on the concept of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity was an important achievement of the summit. The international community has said that it will act collectively, through the Security Council, where states fail to protect their own populations from such violations. This obligation must be given priority in the Security Council's deliberations.

I am encouraged that the Secretary General will continue his work of reforming the UN secretariat, especially on the issues of ethics, accountability and oversight, as mandated in the summit outcome document. I look forward to seeing further proposals from him in this area, including in response to the Volcker reports on the implementation of the Iraq oil for food programme.

My delegation is working with others towards agreement on a Comprehensive Convention Against Terrorism at this session of the General Assembly. I look forward to the development of the UN counter-terrorism strategy and to proposals from the Secretary General to strengthen the capacity of the UN to assist states in combating terrorism.

There are other issues which are not the focus of discussions currently under way in New York. These include the millennium development goals which are the joint responsibility of the donor and developing countries. The Deputy will be aware that the Taoiseach committed Ireland to reaching the UN target of 0.7% by 2012, which, on current levels, will mean a tripling of our development co-operation budget.

I reiterate my disappointment that progress was not made on disarmament and non-proliferation at the summit. Ireland remains committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and we will continue to work to strengthen it.

Many of these concerns are reflected in conclusions agreed at the meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 7 November, which I attended. The Council reiterated the EU's deep commitment to the UN, to the upholding and development of international law and to effective multilateralism as a central element of its external action, and agreed on priorities in the implementation of the summit outcome to be pursued vigorously by EU delegations in New York.