UN Reform
Ireland is actively involved in reform efforts to ensure that the UN is fit for purpose.
Security Council
We are closely involved in negotiations, underway for some time, to reform and enlarge the Security Council.
Acknowledging that the composition of the Council needs to be updated to take account of changing global realities, we favour a Security Council that is more representative, more inclusive, more effective, more transparent and more accountable in its actions.
We have also joined many other countries in calling for the abolition of the veto rights conferred on the five permanent members of the Council.
Ireland is a leading member of the ACT group, launched in 2013, which seeks to improve the accountability, coherence and transparency of the Security Council in its current composition.
We are working to encourage greater Security Council efforts on early warning and conflict prevention, as well as a more open and interactive relationship between the Security Council, the broader UN membership and civil society.
General Assembly
Ireland is actively involved in the debate on the Revitalisation of the General Assembly, a dedicated item of work in the GA since its inclusion in the agenda of the 46th Session in 1991. Revitalisation, which looks at reforming the work of the General Assembly, is discussed biennially.
As in the Security Council reform process, Ireland is a leading member of the ACT group. We are working to encourage further rationalisation and streamlining of the work of the General Assembly, increasing transparency and improving coordination with the Security Council and other bodies.
Our Common Agenda
Ireland welcomed the UN Secretary General's 2021 Our Common Agenda (OCA) report. We support the Secretary-General's vision to reinvigorate an inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism, making the UN fit for purpose.
Following the OCA report, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution in 2022 to hold the Summit of the Future on 22-23 September 2024 during UN High-Level Week. The Summit of the Future will build upon the 2023 SDG Summit and SDG Political Declaration, negotiated by Ireland and Qatar, by agreeing an action-oriented Pact for the Future. Ireland made a national submission to the Pact in December 2023, and contributed to the submission by the EU.
Ireland is supportive of the OCA process, recognising the opportunity it represents for turbocharging the SDGs. We also welcomed discussions around a 'New Agenda for Peace' and made a national submission in response to the UN's invitation to Member States to share their views, priorities and potential recommendations.