Press release
Minister Byrne addresses UN Security Council meeting on Bosnia and Herzegovina
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, represented Ireland at a UN Security Council meeting on Bosnia and Herzegovina which took place today, 2 November, in New York. The meeting followed the renewal of the EUFOR Operation Althea mandate for a further 12 months.
Renewing the EUFOR Operation Althea has been a key priority for our term on the UN Security Council, and Ireland led the successful negotiations on this over the past month.
EUFOR Operation Althea is a European Union CSDP operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which supports the authorities in maintaining a safe and secure environment in the country in line with the Dayton Agreement.
Ireland currently has 5 Defence Forces personnel serving in EUFOR Operation Althea.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Byrne said:
"I am pleased that Ireland led the successful negotiations on the Security Council Resolution, and that EUFOR Operation Althea’s mandate has now been renewed for a further 12 months. Ireland is proud to participate in this mission, which continues to play a vital role in safeguarding peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina is with the European Union, and I welcome the European Commission’s recommendation that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted candidate status, on the basis of the implementation of key reforms. Ireland will continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina as it forges ahead with these key reforms on its path towards the European Union."
Ireland is an elected member of the UN Security Council for 2021 – 2022. Throughout this term Ireland has focused on the key priorities of Building Peace, Strengthening Conflict Prevention, and Ensuring Accountability.
Launched in 2004, EUFOR Operation Althea is a European Union CSDP operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) with the primary focus of supporting the authorities in maintaining a safe and secure environment in the country in line with the Dayton Agreement, which brought about the end of the war in BiH in 1995.
The Security Council renewed the authorisation of EUFOR Althea at a vote on 2 November 2022, and then held its semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, is attending a series of UN-related meetings in New York on 2 and 3 November, including the debate on Bosnia and a high level open debate on peace operations.