ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN IRELAND, 20-23 JANUARY

25 January 1999

Press Release
SG/T/2164

ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN IRELAND, 20-23 JANUARY

19990125 The Secretary-General departed New York on 20 January to begin a four- nation visit in Europe -- to Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan arrived in Dublin on Wednesday evening, where they were greeted at Dublin Airport by the Minister of Defence, Michael Smith, and by Richard Ryan, the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations.

On Thursday morning, 21 January, the Secretary-General held talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Andrews. Their discussions covered a wide range of issues, including United Nations peacekeeping, United Nations financing and reform, the situations in Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Angola and the Sudan. The Foreign Minister briefed the Secretary-General on recent developments in Northern Ireland, including the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission, as well as on Ireland's activities in development assistance, human rights and disarmament.

At the conclusion of their talks the Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister held a joint press conference during which the Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Ireland's important and historic role in peacekeeping operations, as well as its work in humanitarian fields. Commenting on developments in Northern Ireland, the Secretary-General said that the whole world was following the peace process very closely and that "a success here would be an inspiration for many people in other divided lands".

The Secretary-General also told the press that he had spoken earlier by telephone with the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Zivadin Jovanovic, urging Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to defuse the current crisis over Kosovo. It was not too late, he said, for the President to change his mind on the expulsion order for William Walker, the head of the European monitoring mission, or the decision to deny access to Kosovo to United Nations Chief Prosecutor Louise Arbour. "At this stage", he said, "we are dealing with a situation where sometimes leaders go all the way to the brink and then climb down again".

The Secretary-General then visited the United Nations Training School for peacekeepers at the Military College in the Curragh Camp. On arrival he was greeted by the Minister of Defence, Brigadier Carl Dodd, General Officer

Commanding Defence Forces Training Centre and Colonel Desmond Travers, Commandant of the Military College. The Secretary-General inspected a Guard of Honour and proceeded to the Training School, where he was briefed by the Commanding Officer, Colonel Oliver MacDonald, on 40 years of Irish peacekeeping activities. (Ireland currently has 760 troops in 13 different missions. Seventy-five have lost their lives in the service of peace.) The Secretary-General was then invited to plant a tree to commemorate 40 years of Irish peacekeeping. He was then guest of honour at a lunch hosted by the Minister of Defence in the Officers' Mess. In brief remarks, the Minister of Defence welcomed the Secretary-General to Ireland and to the Military College and expressed, on behalf of the Government and the armed forces, their appreciation for his visit. The Secretary-General responded by expressing his thanks to Ireland for its significant contribution to peacekeeping and most recently for playing a vigorous part in the United Nations Standby Arrangements system (see SG/SM/6868).

That evening, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan attended a dinner hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On Friday, 22 January, the Secretary-General began his day by laying a wreath at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, a former hospice for war veterans, in honour of those Irish peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice. In a statement, the Secretary-General praised the contribution that Ireland has made to the cause of peace around the world (see SG/SM/6869). The ceremony was attended by representatives of the army, navy and air corps, as well as veterans of United Nations peacekeeping. Following the ceremony the Secretary-General met with a group of veterans.

The Secretary-General then paid a courtesy call on Mary McAleese, President of the Republic of Ireland.

The Secretary-General proceeded to a meeting with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, John O'Donoghue, to discuss the continuing involvement of the Irish police in United Nations peacekeeping abroad. Over the past 10 years, nearly 500 Irish police have served in United Nations peacekeeping missions in countries such as Namibia, Angola, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia and Cyprus.

The Secretary-General and Minister O'Donoghue discussed the increasing importance of United Nations civilian police missions since the end of the cold war. The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Ireland's commitment to those missions.

The Secretary-General then met the Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern. Over a working lunch they discussed a wide range of issues, including United Nations reform, peacekeeping, the situations in Kosovo and Iraq, as well as various

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crisis spots in Africa. Prime Minister Ahern briefed the Secretary-General on his recent visit to the Middle East. He also expressed his appreciation for the Secretary-General's support for the peace process in Northern Ireland. At the conclusion of their talks, the two men held a press conference.

The Secretary-General received the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa, from the National University of Ireland. The degree was conferred by Garret FitzGerald, Chancellor of the University. The Secretary-General was introduced by W.J. Smyth, Vice-Chancellor. Mr. Smyth praised the Secretary- General for his contribution to peace, describing him as "a man of tenacious optimism and a person well able to harness the creative tensions inherent in an office that requires a balance between diplomacy and activism, between conciliation and active engagement".

The Secretary-General, in accepting the honorary degree said, "in honouring me you are honouring the United Nations". He referred to Ireland's significant international contribution: "Wherever in the world people are suffering, wherever there is difficult or dangerous work to be done, for little or no material reward, there, in my experience, you will always find Irish people in the front line" (see SG/SM/6870). Following the ceremony the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan were introduced to Government representatives and members of the diplomatic corps.

At the end of the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with representatives of non-governmental organizations in Ireland, including the Irish United Nations Association, Amnesty International, the Irish Neutrality Alliance, the Association of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Ireland, and Action From Ireland, an organization which deals with matters of development and disarmament.

The Secretary-General departed Dublin for Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday morning, 23 January.

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