Activities of Secretary-General in Ireland, 24-26 May
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Ireland from Viet Nam on Sunday morning, 24 May.
That evening, he travelled to Tipperary, where he received the International Peace Award named after the Irish town.
“This is a time of test,” the Secretary-General said in his remarks. “The past 70 years would surely have been far bloodier without the United Nations. Yet conflicts continue to exact an unacceptable toll. It is time for an era of stronger cooperation and action to respond to the millions of people around the world who look to the global body to uphold its obligation to maintain international peace and security.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16785.)
The Secretary-General said he was also using the acceptance of the award to call for “the defence of civil society against those who are trying to keep it from playing its crucial role in advancing peace, democracy, development and human rights”.
On Monday morning, 25 May, he visited the Curragh Defence Forces Training Camp in County Kildare, which is also a training centre for Ireland’s United Nations peacekeepers.
There, he met with Simon Coveney, Minister for Defence and for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland, and they discussed current challenges in international peacekeeping and Ireland’s role in peace operations. The Secretary-General thanked Ireland for its long-standing contribution to United Nations peacekeeping.
The Secretary-General also reviewed a Guard of Honour and was briefed on Ireland’s cooperation on many levels with United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Together with Mr. Coveney, he also planted a tree and received a presentation on the Irish military’s work on detected landmines.
He then travelled to the capital, Dublin, where he had lunch with President Michael D. Higgins.
The Secretary-General held a meeting with Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Justice and Equality, and they conferred on the challenges and complexities of burgeoning migration flows and refugee protection around the world.
He then met with resettled refugees living in Ireland. He recounted his experiences as a child during the Korean War. “I know at least some measure of what you are going through,” he said. “Despite the hardships, despite the darkness, I came through it. Today, I carry a simple message: The world is with you, and I am with you.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16788.)
Following that engagement, the Secretary-General met with Charles Flanagan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He congratulated Ireland on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of Ireland’s membership to the United Nations. They also discussed the Middle East peace process and the challenge of burgeoning migration flows and displaced people around the world.
After that meeting, the Secretary-General delivered the Iveagh Lecture at Dublin Castle. In his remarks, he said that the three major milestones this year — the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa in July, the post-2015 development agenda meeting in New York in September and the climate change conference in Paris in December — give us the best chance to end poverty. “I believe that we are the last generation that can address climate change impacts and I think we may be the first generation that can put an end to poverty,” he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/16789.)
He then visited a Dublin pub, where he poured and enjoyed a pint of stout.
The Secretary-General ended his evening with a dinner hosted by Joan Burton, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Protection.
On Tuesday morning, 26 May, the Secretary-General met with Prime Minister Enda Kenny.
Speaking jointly to reporters afterwards, the Secretary-General congratulated the people of Ireland on the result of the marriage equality referendum. “The United Nations, through its Free & Equal campaign, will continue its efforts to promote human dignity for all,” he said.
He was then interviewed by David McCullagh of the Irish national television station, RTE. They discussed the situation in Ukraine and migration, among other issues.
He also met that day with Sean Sherlock, Minister for Overseas Development Assistance, Trade Promotion and North-South Cooperation of Ireland.
The Secretary-General then met with Goodwill and Youth Ambassadors of the United Nations Children’s Fund, who told him of their work in promoting sustainable development, before participating in the launch of Ireland’s United Nations Youth Delegate Programme.
“By including young people in its national delegation, the Irish Government will benefit from youth perspectives while helping young people gain a better understanding of the complexities of international negotiations,” he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/16793.)
The Secretary-General and Madam Ban departed Ireland early on Tuesday afternoon for Brussels, Belgium.