FORUM ON EUROPE: The nature and value of UN reform, concerns about security, and the need for greater overseas aid were all highlighted by delegates to the Forum on Europe, reports Deaglán de Bréadún.
Mr Ruairí Quinn (Labour) said the UN Charter "reflects the geopolitical conditions that no longer exist in the modern world". Labour supported the reform of the Security Council: the permanent membership of five had to be expanded to reflect reality and to include countries such as Brazil or South Africa.
"Each of the continents on the globe should be represented on a permanent basis. Coming closer to home, we believe the EU should, in fact represent Europeans." The decision-making process should be reformed to allow the use of qualified majority voting along EU lines.
The Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, Ms Mary Lou McDonald, opposed the idea of "outsourcing" rapid reaction peacekeeping to regional military alliances or allowing states to intervene on behalf of the UN.
"I believe that regional outsourcing, in particular, runs the risk of undermining the UN by rendering it redundant. The UN must retain an independent peacekeeping capacity," she said.
The chairman of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Mr Roger Cole, said PANA advocated a "transformed UN as the institution through which Ireland could pursue its security concerns rather than via US-EU-NATO nuclear-armed military bloc".
Ms Liz O'Donnell, of the Progressive Democrats, said overseas development co-operation was not just a matter of charity but "enlightened self-interest" and the rich countries should be reminded of the link between chronic poverty and the security problems in the world.
The Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, welcomed the "clarification" by the Minister for Foreign Affairs that Ireland would reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP in overseas aid. "I am assuming that 2007 is the date in question."
Father Seán Healy of the Conference of Religious of Ireland said the Third World aid target of 0.7% of GNP "was to be achieved by 2007 and I would urge the Government to actually meet that target date as well as the actual target volume".
Socialist Party TD Mr Joe Higgins asked why the working people and the poor should place any hope for a better future in a reorganised UN when two of its permanent Security Council members could launch and continue "an illegal imperialist conquest in Iraq, slaughtering in the process thousands of innocent people".