Press Release
June 18, 2020 • 3 min read
GOAL has welcomed Ireland’s election to the UN Security Council, hailing it as a unique opportunity for the country to play its part in the fight for global peace, security and justice.
Welcoming the outcome of the vote, GOAL CEO, Siobhan Walsh, said Ireland has achieved a tremendous result in securing appointment to the United Nations Security Council for 2021-22. “This achievement is the fruit of years of skilled and tireless work by our diplomats and politicians, and will see Ireland assume a vital role in the vanguard of the world’s preeminent deliberative body.”
She said: “This result both speaks to our ambition as a nation to meaningfully contribute to the global community, while representing an acknowledgement by other nations of Ireland’s unique offering to the world. Our unflinching commitment to peace both domestically and abroad, our solidarity with the developing world, our own economic dynamism and political stability, and generations of assimilated Irish immigrants across the world, have seen Ireland offer rarefied credibility as a neutral and constructive broker in world affairs.”
She added: “From our perspective, as an Irish-based international NGO, we recognise the importance of the UN Security Council to influence so many of the humanitarian and development issues which our teams grapple with every day. From climate change commitments to procuring peaceful resolutions to disputes, this forum is a vital conduit for achieving a better, fairer world.”
“To have our national voice at the nexus of this critical exchange will greatly enhance the visibility and credibility of our programming in the eyes of the communities which GOAL serves, the stakeholders with whom we collaborate, and the donors who so generously fund this vital work.”
“The global challenges that lie ahead are many and profound. The urgent need for solidarity and uniform, global participation in the fight against climate change is heightened every day. Fundamental human rights continue to be rolled back, amid a widening chasm of global inequality. Violent conflicts remain a blight in many regions, with their knock-on disastrous humanitarian impact on the lives of countless civilians.”
“Poverty and inequality remain the harsh reality of life for millions of people in our world. The deteriorating geopolitical relationship between the global superpowers and the unprecedented social and economic pressures imposed by COVID-19 further mire the current global outlook. We wish our Government and our Diplomatic Service the very best as they undertake this daunting yet critical role as interlocutors of global peace and peace-keeping. GOAL looks forward to supporting that vital work over the next two years in every way we can. Congratulations to everybody involved.”
Ms Walsh commended the Irish Government, led by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Simon Coveney, and the Irish Diplomatic Service, led by Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason and her team in New York. She also commended Niall Burgess and Brendan Rogers and their team at Iveagh House, together with our Missions around the world.
“A special well-done to Ruairi de Burca and his team at Irish Aid for their great contribution. And great credit is also due to everybody who supported the Government’s campaign, including President Higgins, former President Robinson, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and our wonderful arts community whose global reputation and impact was such a major asset.
