UN: The Government has welcomed the report issued by UN secretary general Kofi Annan, and says it will canvass support for his reform agenda.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, said last night that Mr Annan had brought forward a series of "ambitious but achievable" recommendations which, if realised, could "galvanise the international community to meet the challenges confronting mankind".
"He is saying to the nations of the world: do what I suggest and we can achieve the millennium development goals; we can maintain international peace and security; we can combat terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and we can secure global respect for fundamental human rights."
"Kofi Annan has demonstrated leadership. It is now up to the governments represented at the United Nations to respond by giving him the support he needs to deliver on his initiative. I have assured the secretary general of Ireland's full support."
Mr Ahern said he would be raising the report in discussions with other EU foreign ministers in Brussels today to establish how the EU can put its weight behind the reform process.
Labour's spokesperson on European affairs, Ruairí Quinn, also welcomed the report, describing it as "an important, significant effort to address long-standing shortcomings in the UN".
He called on the Government to pay "particular attention" to its recommendations, including the specific demand that all developed countries achieve the 0.7% overseas development aid target.
"As a party committed to multilateralism and the United Nations system, the Labour Party welcomes any attempt to modernise and update the UN, its institutions, and its decision-making bodies which have remained largely the same since it was established in 1945," he commented.
"I therefore welcome the In Larger Freedom report which addresses long overdue issues such as Security Council reform and the establishment of a new Human Rights Council.
"Whilst the report was provoked by the new global threats to international security that have emerged since the end of the Cold War, the basic truth is that many of these threats have their origins in the fact that 1.3 billion people live on less than $1 a day, and a further two billion on less than $2 per day.
"The best way of alleviating that is through the full realisation of the eight millennium development goals by 2015, and to recommit to pledges given at the Johannesburg summit in 2002, rather than by the example set by the Irish Government in dropping its commitment to provide 0.7% of GNP for ODA by 2007.
"Policy changes must be accompanied by structural changes in the composition of the Security Council. I addition, the proposal to rejuvenate the staff should be generously responded to."
