Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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145. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the objectives of his Department’s strategy for adapting to a changing geopolitical context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57052/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Statement of Strategy for 2025-2028 outlines six high-level goals to guide the work of the Department. Under the goal "Responding to a Changing Geopolitical Context", our objective is to reinforce and protect the multilateral system and the international legal order, with the UN Charter at its heart, which underpins Ireland’s security and allows us to promote our values; while we champion the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

To achieve this goal, the Government actively engages at political and official level in a wide range of multilateral institutions, including the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, OECD, and WTO. In September, along with the Taoiseach and a number other Government Ministers, I attended the UN General Assembly High Level Week. We stressed the importance of the UN80 process in delivering effective reforms to ensure the UN’s responsiveness to global needs in the current geopolitical environment. We also reiterated the critical need for collective action to deal with in addressing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, as well as in Sudan.

As an EU Member State, Ireland seeks to address and adapt to today’s global challenges by contributing to and supporting the implementation of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Our engagement and collective action in this area serves to amplify Ireland’s voice in the world and strengthen our shared capacity to respond to the current geopolitical environment. The EU response to these challenges will be a priority during Ireland’s Presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2026.

The Department is active in promoting and strengthening international humanitarian and human rights law is promoted and strengthened, as well as supporting effective accountability mechanisms. As a demonstration to our commitment to continued advances in international commitments and human rights standards in a period where human rights norms are facing considerable pushback, we are standing for election for a seat on the Human Rights Council from 2027 to 2029.

Under this goal, my Department is also working to make a strong and consistent contribution towards a stable and secure international environment, through active engagement in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding; disarmament and non-proliferation, and promoting the resolution of disputes through multilateral diplomacy based on the principles of the UN Charter. It is also working on implementing an international security policy that is effective in the context of the evolving European security environment.

Ireland is actively engaged in international efforts to bring an end to Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Ireland continues to provide consistent political, humanitarian, economic and non-lethal military support to Ukraine, through bilateral and multilateral channels, while advocating for Ukraine’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity and EU accession path.

The conflict in the Middle East is a priority for Ireland's foreign policy. The Government consistently advocates for the two-State solution, and the equal right to self-determination, peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike, as well as full adherence to international law and international humanitarian law in the Middle East.

Reaching the furthest behind first is the overarching frame of Ireland’s international development policy A Better World. This is central to our continued leadership on revitalising the global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. My Department supports efforts to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need, that Country-level development programmes contribute to peace and security, and sustainable development, as well as prioritising gender equality, climate action and strengthening governance. We achieve this through our interventions in protection, food, people and inclusive economic growth.

One of the practical steps we have taken to support our capacity to respond to a changing geopolitical landscape is the expansion of our diplomatic footprint, first started under Global Ireland 2025. In this rapidly changing geopolitical context, our diplomatic network supports our efforts through bilateral, EU and multilateral engagement to promote these objectives which are firmly based on our values, and underpin our efforts to promote peace, security and development at home and overseas.