Ireland will seek to develop measures to make a "practical contribution" to conflict prevention and crisis management during its presidency of the European Union next year, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said.
Mr Cowen also said Ireland would play a key role in co-ordinating the EU's promotion of reform of the UN, peace in the Middle East, human rights issues and trade matters.
Addressing the Royal Irish Academy this morning on the theme of New World Order, Mr Cowen said Ireland had traditionally seen international security "through a different prism" than most of our partners in the European Union.
"Our history and geographic location made our experience in the 20th century very different to other European nations, large and small. But we are coming to accept that the EU as a global player has real security interests and concerns, and that these are equally our interests and concerns," he said.
Mr Cowen said he was "not for one moment" suggesting that we abandon our traditional approach to foreign policy issues. "But what I am suggesting [is] that we have to test and apply our principles to the realities that increasingly face us and our partners in the European Union. If we want an effective multilateral system, we simply have to ensure that the EU has the capabilities to contribute meaningfully to it."
Mr Cowen said the European Security and Defence Policy was the "key instrument" and that through it, the EU can make a practical contribution to conflict prevention and crisis management.
"But to be able to do so, we need to further develop the Union's capabilities - capabilities which are civilian as well as military. Ireland will take forward work in this area during our upcoming Presidency."
Mr Cowen said the EU and the UN had worked closely on a military mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the summer. A very welcome consequence of this had been a substantial development of the relationship between the UN and the EU in crisis management. Ireland would also seek to develop this relationship further, he added.
The minister emphasised that the most efffective means of ensuring the security of all states remained the multilateral system. He said the UN Charter embodies the only agreed means of dealing with threats to international peace and security and of conferring a "unique legitimacy on measures taken to preserve or restore it".
Mr Cowen also advocated reform of the UN, which he said should not only be about "institutional change". "The millions of men and women suffering through conflict, poverty and injustice will not thank us if we confine ourselves to rearranging the chairs around a table in New York," he said.
As President of the EU, Ireland would be responsible for guiding the EU input into UN reform.
Mr Cowen said it was "a false analysis" to suggest that all US policy was "anti-multilateral". US public opinion remained committed to the UN and he knew from his own ongoing relationship with the administration, and in particular with Secretary of State Colin Powell, that the US is "committed to a strong and effective United Nations".
On the Middle East, Mr Cowen said the roadmap for peace had not been implemented in good faith by "either of the parties".
He will meet the Israeli foreign minister next week and will urge the Israeli government to meet its obligations under the roadmap. Mr Cowen said he delivered a similar message to Mr Yasser Arafat when he visited the region in June.