Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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69. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on Ireland’s plans for securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2021-2022 term; if the election campaign has begun; the pitch Ireland is using to attract votes; and the issues Ireland will use its seat to promote if successful in the election. [14197/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is seeking election to a UN Security Council non-permanent seat in June 2020 for the 2021-2022 term We are one of three candidates for the two seats available to members of the Western European and Others regional group at the UN. Canada and Norway are the other two candidates. Like Ireland, both countries have strong records of engagement at the UN and we co-operate closely with them on a range of issues. In order to be elected to the Security Council, Ireland will need to secure the support of two-thirds of the UN membership – approximately 129 votes of the 193 Member States. The campaign leading to the vote in 2020 is well under way. Member States normally signal their intention to seek election many years in advance. In this regard our candidature was first announced in 2005 and the campaign has been building since then. I am taking every opportunity to raise Ireland’s candidature with the representatives of Member States. Last month I met with the representatives of countries from a number of regional groups at the UN’s Headquarters in New York. I and my Cabinet colleagues will continue to make Ireland’s case in the period ahead. In addition, my Department’s diplomatic staff in Ireland, our Permanent Representation to the UN in New York, and our entire Embassy network have been actively presenting our case and seeking support. This effort will continue. The Security Council campaign is an opportunity to demonstrate Ireland’s foreign policy values and credentials. Our candidature also reflects the centrality of the UN to Irish foreign policy. In making our case to the electorate, we will be highlighting our consistent record at the UN throughout more than six decades of membership. Among the areas in which we have built a strong reputation at the UN are peacekeeping, sustainable development, humanitarian action, disarmament and human rights.

The Security Council is the UN body with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is difficult to predict what issues might be on the Council’s agenda in 2021 – 2022 should Ireland’s candidature be successful.

The Council’s agenda today is, in many respects, very different to the one that faced its 15 members even just five years ago. Conflict and post-conflict situations in individual countries and regions remain central to the Council agenda. Increasingly, the Council is giving consideration to policy areas which are seen as important factors in international peace and security, including migration, climate change, the role of women and youth, sustainable development and food security. In this regard, it is noteworthy that this month, under the Presidency of The Netherlands, the Council has included discussion on water and conflict, as well as hunger and conflict

If Ireland were to be elected to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council our fundamental approach to any agenda item would be to advocate for the core values of our foreign policy - peace and security, justice, equality and sustainability.