Alarm bells are ringing over conflict, COVID and climate, ‘now we must respond’, Ireland tells UN Assembly 

“We person heard the alarms. Now we indispensable respond,” said Micheál Martin. “I judge that this is what the General Assembly, our Assembly of Nations, was created to do. Our purpose, our obligation.” 

For the Irish leader, “the elemental fact” is that the satellite “cannot win successful addressing these planetary challenges without a strong, effectual and just multilateral system.”  

COVID-19 response 

The Prime Minister also said that “vaccine inequity is simply a motivation test” for the global community.  

He pointed to the rapid constitution of COVAX and the ACT Accelerator, saying this represents multilateralism astatine its best, and the only way to conscionable the people of a afloat vaccinated satellite by mid-2022. 

According to Mr. Martin, Ireland is successful the process of donating 1.3 cardinal vaccine doses to low income countries, chiefly done COVAX. It is besides preparing a “significant donation” for 2022. The country support to planetary wellness since the outbreak of the pandemic has reached over €200 million.  

He highlighted the relation of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO), saying it should stay astatine the bosom of the global response, and informed that Ireland has quadrupled the funding to the agency in effect to the pandemic.  

Lessons from the pandemic 

Reflecting on the past 18 months, the Prime Minster said one happening is clear: “The pandemic caught the satellite off-guard”  

“It has enactment into stark alleviation the simple, and regrettable, information that we person not made capable advancement successful reducing poverty, in expanding entree to prime wellness attraction and education, nor, successful combatting the clime crisis,” helium said. 

He argued that, had the world made much advancement successful the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), societies “would person been much resilient, amended prepared to upwind the storm, and lives would person been spared.” 

Security Council membership 

Since the opening of the year, Ireland has occupied 1 of the non-permanent seats successful the UN Security Council.  

“Every time for the past 9 months, we person sought to usage our voice, to support our principles, and to marque advancement towards the peaceful solution of immoderate of the world’s astir pressing conflicts,” the Irish person said.  

He recalled his ain country’s past with conflict, saying it thought Irish people that “building peace is painstaking, agelong and often frustrating.” 

He said that advancement has not ever been possible and that, excessively often, the Council has been divided. 

“It is simply a acquisition hard learned that erstwhile we, successful this building, are divided, it is the astir susceptible who endure the consequences,” helium said, pointing to the cases of Syria and Tigray.  

Ireland’s contribution 

On Thursday, Mr. Martin chaired a Security Council debate connected clime and security. For him, “there is nary clip to waste” and that is why, in the coming days, Ireland volition convene a treatment connected a thematic solution connected clime and security. 

Looking up to COP26, the UN Climate Conference taking spot in early November, helium said that each Member States should “muster the courageousness to instrumentality bold and ambitious action.” 

For its part, Ireland volition trim emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Along with its partners successful the European Union, the country will execute nett neutrality by 2050.  

“Ireland volition proceed to play our part, to physique statement and to advocator fiercely for the multilateral strategy and the radical we person pledged to serve,” Mr. Martin concluded.   

Read the afloat connection successful English here.