Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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758. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of Ireland's membership of the UN Security Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14620/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland took its seat on the UN Security Council on 1 January 2021. We have been engaging actively across the full Security Council agenda, which includes some 30 country and regional files and 20 thematic files.

The Government have set out three overarching principles for Ireland’s membership of the Security Council: building peace, strengthening conflict prevention, and ensuring accountability. Ireland has also taken on specific responsibilities in relation to the Council’s support to the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal), the humanitarian situation in Syria, Somalia sanctions, UN work in West Africa and the Sahel, and the issues of Climate and Security, Women, Peace and Security, and Hunger and Conflict. 

In relation to our work to uphold the JCPOA, I visited Tehran on 7 March to discuss this and other issues with President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif. I have also spoken with Secretary of State Blinken on this issue.

We are working closely with Norway as co-penholders on the humanitarian situation in Syria. I visited Bab al-Hawa in Turkey in January, to see first-hand the vital role the UN-authorised crossing plays in provision of humanitarian assistance.

We initiated discussions at the Council on 3 February and 4 March on the dire humanitarian situation and the ongoing lack of humanitarian access in Tigray, Ethiopia.

I participated in a High Level Debate on Climate and Security in February. The Council’s Expert Group on Climate and Security, which we co-Chair, held its first meeting for 2021 earlier this month.

I also participated in an Open Debate on Conflict and Food Security in March. Globally, conflict is the main driver of hunger. Ireland and Niger will host a briefing for Council members with the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation in April.

Improving peacekeeping mandates will be a priority throughout our term.  Since January, the Council has renewed or amended the mandates of the Missions in Cyprus (UNFICYP), South Sudan (UNMISS), Somalia (AMISOM), and Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Ireland hosted an informal Council meeting on ensuring the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in UN-led peace processes on 8 March.

Engagement with African issues and with African partners and the African Union is a longstanding priority area for Ireland’s foreign policy, and a key part of our Security Council membership.

We continue to follow the Middle East Peace Process closely. I participated in the Ministerial-level Open Debate on this issue in January.

Myanmar has been a particular focus of the Security Council since February. The Council agreed a Presidential Statement on 10 March, condemning the use of violence against peaceful protesters and expressing its continued support for the democratic transition in Myanmar.

Over the past three months, the Council has also addressed the situations in Iraq, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen. I also participated in a Council meeting on counter-terrorism.

A further priority for our Council term is promoting human rights. Respect for human rights law, international humanitarian law, and the rule of law more broadly is central to building sustainable peace.

The Council has also considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international peace and security. Last month, I attended a high-level debate on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for those in fragile and conflict-affected areas. A resolution on this issue was adopted on 26 February.

Across all issues on the Council agenda, Ireland takes a realistic but ambitious approach. We are working to play a constructive role, to find solutions and overcome divisions to help the Council fulfil its vital role of preventing and resolving conflict.