Ireland today takes on the role of President of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
The presidency is rotated each month, and will see Ireland preside over meetings and manage council agendas for September.
It is the only time Ireland will hold the presidency during its two-year term on the Security Council from 2021 to 2022.
We will be dealing with some of the key immediate challenges facing the international community
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland sought a seat on the Security Council “to make a difference, to bring a principled, constructive and open approach to its vital work of promoting international peace and security.”
“As President of the Security Council, we will be dealing with some of the key immediate challenges facing the international community, including the evolving situation in Afghanistan, and an ongoing concerning situation in the Middle East,” he said.
“I look forward also to chairing a meeting of the Security Council on 23rd September on the critical issue of climate and security. The effects of climate change are a contributory factor in a range of the crises on the Council’s agenda.”
Agenda
Issues on the agenda of the Security Council in September include the evolving situation in Afghanistan, the UN-led peace process in Libya, the Council’s monthly meeting on the Middle East Peace Process, and the situations in Syria, Yemen, Sudan and South Sudan.
Ireland will also host a number of meetings on peacekeeping, climate and security, and the 25th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, said Ireland was stewarding the Council’s work “at a critical moment”.
We need to ensure that hard-won peace gains are not lost when the peacekeepers leave
“Next week I will be in New York to chair a Council meeting on how we can better manage the transition of UN Peacekeeping Operations to a more comprehensive UN engagement on peacebuilding in countries coming out of conflict,” he said.
“We need to ensure that hard-won peace gains are not lost when the peacekeepers leave. I am proud of the history of Defence Forces’ participation in UN peacekeeping which informs Ireland’s work on this issue.”
The Minister expressed concern regarding the situation in Afghanistan and welcomed the adoption of a Security Council resolution on August 30th condemning the attacks at Kabul airport and calling for unhindered humanitarian access.
