We last had a seat on the UN security council nearly 20 years ago, and next week the fight starts in earnest to get back there for another two years in 2001. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, David Andrews, will attend the UN general assembly in New York next week, he will address it on Wednesday, and already dozens of meetings have been set up with foreign ministers he wishes to lobby. Every UN member has a vote for the 10 rotating seats on the 15-member council. It is the only part of the UN that can enforce its decisions, from sanctions to peacekeeping and interventions. Our opponents for the two Western Europe seats are Norway, well regarded because of the development aid it gives, and Turkey. We want a place, if only temporarily, beside the big boys - permanent members, Britain, France, the US, China and Russia - for reasons of international prestige and power.
We're popular, so we should succeed, but nothing is being left to chance. As well as David Andrews's on-going efforts and embassy lobbying around the globe, the Minister has appointed Mary Whelan from his department as campaign co-ordinator.
Incidentally, as our UN campaign takes off, it emerged this week that we are to open an embassy in a rival capital. The DFA's head of protocol, Antoin MacUnfraidh, is expected to be our new ambassador in Ankara.