Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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281. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the ten locations globally now deemed to be the most serious in the context of conflict, starvation, genocide, ethnic cleansing, human rights violations and any other issues threatening the lives and well-being of civilian populations with a view to enhancing the extent to which the UN can respond and protect communities in such circumstances; if the international community is sufficiently alert to such abuses and is willing to put in place measures to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34211/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Conflict regrettably continues to be prevalent throughout the world, despite the call by the UN Secretary-General to all warring parties to pull back from hostilities during the current pandemic. Worldwide, conflict remains the primary driver of hunger and humanitarian crises.

The number and complexity of these crises globally has increased in recent years but each conflict is unique in its character, scale and complexity, and as such cannot be ranked by any single set of criteria of severity.

Ireland is a strong contributor to global efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, and to address hunger and violations of human rights. Central to this is our strong and enduring commitment to effective multilateralism, particularly through our Membership of the European Union and the United Nations. 

At the UN Security Council, Ireland is actively promoting accountability and compliance with international law in our work on the Council and its subsidiary bodies, including through the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security, which Ireland is co-chairing, and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. 

Accountability, including for crimes against humanity, is important not only as a means of pursuing justice for victims, but also as a crucial component to create stability and peace in post-conflict situations. A strong international criminal justice system is central to fighting impunity and in deterring future violations.

While states bear the primary responsibility to investigate the most serious international crimes, Ireland regards the International Criminal Court as the cornerstone of such a system. Ireland, together with its EU partners is a consistent and strong supporter of the Court. We will continue to support and defend the Court throughout our term on the United Nations Security Council.

Ireland also has a long and proud tradition of contributing to UN and EU peace-support missions, including in some of the world’s most complex and intractable conflicts. The Government remains committed to participation in peacekeeping operations as a tangible contribution to the protection of global peace and security including the protection of human rights.