Minister Coveney to address RIA seminar on Ireland’s UN Security Council term

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, will deliver a keynote address on Ireland’s work as an elected member of the UN Security Council, at a Royal Irish Academy seminar on 23 November. Reflecting on Ireland’s term on the Security Council, Minister Coveney said:

"Looking back over the past two years, while I feel frustrated that the Security Council has been unable to do more on certain issues, including Ukraine, I feel a great sense of pride at what Ireland has achieved as an elected member."

Minister Coveney highlighted some of Ireland’s key achievements on the Security Council, including work on UN peacekeeping:

"Throughout our time on the Council, we have drawn on the experience and expertise of the Defence Forces, and their unbroken record of service in UN peacekeeping.

"Last year, we led work on Resolution 2594, the Council’s first ever Resolution on Peacekeeping Transitions.

"The Resolution, adopted unanimously and co-sponsored by all 15 Council members, will help to ensure that the hard-won gains of peace are protected when a peacekeeping mission ends."

The Minister outlined Ireland’s work at the Security Council in relation to conflicts and humanitarian crises, including in Syria, Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Speaking about Ireland’s lead role in responding to the conflict in Ethiopia, he said:

"We did not expect Ethiopia to feature so prominently in our work. But, as we took up our seat, we were compelled to act in response to the deteriorating conflict and the appalling suffering that it wrought.

"We simply could not allow the Security Council to look the other way. And so, over the past two years, Ireland has led the Council’s engagement on the crisis."

Notes

The RIA will host a half-day seminar on ‘Ireland on the UN Security Council’ in the morning of Wednesday 23 November, at the RIA headquarters at 19 Dawson Street. Minister Coveney will deliver a keynote address and participate in a Q&A session. This will be followed by two panel discussions on UN Security Council themes. Registration is available here: Ireland on the United Nations Security Council Tickets, Wed 23 Nov 2022 at 09:45 - Eventbrite

Ireland is an elected member of the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term, which will end on 31 December 2022. Further information about Ireland’s Security Council term can be found on ireland.ie/un and ireland.ie/un/newyork/.