Ireland’s participation in EU military and civilian missions was “fully compatible” with its role in United Nations peacekeeping, UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon said in Dublin this morning.
Mr Ban was on the first leg of a two-day official visit to Ireland where he held talks with Taoiseach Brian Cowen and President Mary McAleese. He is also meeting Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.
In the course of an address at Dublin Castle under the auspices of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), Mr Ban said: “This is not a zero-sum game in which more support for one institution means less for the other. We are in this together."
The Secretary-General said that Ireland was “famous throughout the world” for its contributions to UN peacekeeping. “Every day for more than half a century, an Irish soldier has been walking point for peace under the UN’s blue flag.
He paid tribute to the Irish peacekeepers who "made the ultimate sacrifice while rendering this vital service". He also expressed his "deepest appreciation" to Ireland for its long-standing commitment to UN peacekeeping operations "and to those being led by the European Union".
Addressing "the broader context of peacekeeping in the 21st century", he said: "The United Nations remains at the forefront of international efforts to address international conflict. Demand for the organisation's services is at its highest ever.
"We now have 16 peacekeeping operations and 27 special political missions deployed around the globe, supported by 78,000 military personnel, more than 11,000 police and more than 23,000 civilian staff.
"It has been said that I command more deployed forces than anyone in the world except for President Obama. Let me assure you that I do not seek such status.
"Nothing would please me more than to bring everyone home, safe and sound. But that is not the world we live in, try as we might to get there. To borrow the words of your famous compatriot, William Butler Yeats, 'peace comes dropping slow' in many of the places where the UN is called to serve.
"However, despite this, we must rightly show patience and determination in our quest to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people," Mr Ban said.
He said the global economic crisis could "further limit our ability to respond effectively. And a number of missions struggle to operate amidst stalled peace processes and ongoing violence. These gaps and constraints should concern all of us."
