Written answers

Thursday, 22 May 2008

Department of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Conflicts

4:00 pm

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to establish an academic centre for conflict resolution. [20311/08]

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to establish an annual €25 million stability fund, overseen by the conflict resolution unit. [20312/08]

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to establish a system of roving ambassadors to crisis regions. [20313/08]

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to fund a number of fourth level scholarships in the conflict resolution area. [20314/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 to 122, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government proposed the development of an Irish Academic Centre for Conflict Resolution to provide academic and analytical expertise in this area, and to act as a resource for my Department's Conflict Resolution Unit. The development of the Centre will help to deliver on the Conflict Resolution Unit's mandate to work with academic institutions, civil society organisations and other partners. The Unit has engaged in a detailed study of comparable academic centres abroad, in order to identify best practice in this area and design a model for the centre that is well suited to Ireland's needs and resources. My predecessor, Minister Dermot Ahern TD, wrote to Irish academic institutions on 31 March advising them of the intended establishment of the Centre and inviting them to nominate representatives to participate in a consultative process leading to the establishment of the Centre. These consultations will take account of ongoing work in the conflict resolution area and, in particular, of the Government's objectives.

As regards the Stability Fund, the amount available has been increased this year from €4.5 million to €10 million, with €5.5 million of this dedicated to support specific initiatives related to the work of the Conflict Resolution Unit. As the work of the Unit develops opportunities to support effective conflict resolution activities will increase. Regarding the establishment of a system of Roving Ambassadors, Minister Ahern announced during his address to the National Parliament of Timor-Leste in Dili in late February that he had appointed Nuala O'Loan to be the first such Roving Ambassador, with the role of Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution in Timor-Leste. Ms O'Loan has recently returned from a visit to Timor-Leste, where she met President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, as well as other representatives of government, the United Nations, bilateral donors and political and civil society organisations. Mrs O'Loan will in due course report back to me and advise on specific initiatives which can be taken to assist in conflict resolution and peacebuilding activities there.

On the fourth-level scholarships, a scheme of doctoral scholarships in conflict resolution was established by my Department earlier this year in partnership with the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Applications for scholarships under the scheme were assessed by an international panel of academics, assembled by the Research Council, and led by an expert in the area of conflict resolution. Three scholarships, supporting research towards Ph.D. degrees focusing on themes relevant to the work of the Conflict Resolution Unit, are to be offered in this inaugural year of the scheme, and the successful candidates will be notified shortly.

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