Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
274. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on Ireland's position on the way in which the United Nations will be reformed to operate more effectively and to be more reflective of today's world; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71090/25]
View answerAs we prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of Ireland's membership of the United Nations, it is appropriate to reflect on all the UN has achieved, and the important contribution Ireland has made to the UN, not least through the service of our peacekeepers. The UN and the Charter of the United Nations lie at the heart of Ireland's foreign policy.
It is also the case that, eighty years since the UN's creation, the institution needs to continue to grow and adapt to ensure that it is able to respond effectively to the myriad of challenges our world faces.
I welcome the UN80 reform initiative that was announced by the UN Secretary General in March this year which aims to develop a more agile, effective and responsive organisation. Ireland wants to see a UN that is accountable, eliminates duplication, strengthens cooperation; and most importantly delivers on the ground for those most in need.
Ireland supports the work of the UN80 initiative and is actively engaging across all work streams. Ireland is also clear that reform cannot come at the cost of UN core values. The work of the UN on important issues such as human rights, gender equality and climate action must be protected and advanced in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Ireland will continue to invest in multilateralism, a rules-based international order, and a healthy United Nations to lead it. There is no other path to underpin our security, prosperity and well-being.
