United Nations Special Summit on AIDS
10. Mr. Gormley asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his speech to the UN high level conference on AIDS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23161/06]
The Taoiseach: I propose to take Questions 1 to 16 together.
I received a personal invitation from the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, to attend the United Nations Special Summit on AIDS, in New York in early June. The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for the important advocacy role that Ireland has played with our European partners and for the significant resources that we have provided to reverse the trends of the epidemic.
I had also attended the first UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS in New York five years ago. At the time, Ireland along with the other member states, adopted a Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. In addition, I committed Ireland to increasing our spending on the fight against HIV/AIDS to €30 million a year.
The purpose of this year’s high level meeting was to review the progress achieved in realising the targets set out five years ago. The meeting was attended by Heads of State and Government, and representatives from civil society and from the private sector. I was accompanied by the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Development Co-operation, Deputy Conor Lenihan.
In my address to the General Assembly, I stressed that the fight against AIDS remains one of the greatest challenges of our generation. I reiterated Ireland’s commitment, made in September 2005, to increase Government expenditure on HIV and other poverty related diseases to €100 million per year.
I also reiterated the commitment of the Irish Government to reach the UN target of spending 0.7% of GNP on official development assistance by 2012. This major scaling up of the Irish aid programme will allow Ireland to be at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS in the years ahead.
I had a bilateral meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan. I presented him with a report of the Irish Government’s response to the challenge of HIV/AIDS in developing countries from 2001-2006. This report clearly demonstrates that Ireland has lived up to the commitments we made five years ago.
I stressed Ireland’s determination to remain in the vanguard of the global response to HIV/AIDS. I also mentioned the Government’s intention to publish Ireland’s first White Paper on development co-operation.
The Secretary-General thanked me for attending the high level meeting on HIV/AIDS and for our continued strong support for the UN campaign against the disease. He said that the UN could have no better partner than Ireland and thanked me for our efforts at EU level. He remarked that much had been achieved in the global campaign against HIV/AIDS but an effort was still needed to sensitise more world leaders.
The Secretary-General also expressed gratitude for Ireland’s willingness to extend the participation of our peace-keeping troops in Liberia until 2007. He hoped that our commitment to peace-keeping operations in Africa would encourage other western countries to follow suit, as many countries have been reluctant to send peacekeeping troops in recent years. I said that the Government would consider any request to send troops to Darfur, Sudan but we would not be in a position to do so until our mission in Liberia has ended.
The Secretary-General and I also discussed international issues including Iran and the Middle East. I expressed our full support for the efforts of the EU3 to achieve a diplomatic settlement to the current dispute with Iran. The Secretary-General stressed the importance that all sides, including the US and Iran, must come to the negotiating table without any preconditions.
On the Middle East, the Secretary-General welcomed the efforts of President Abbas to secure the agreement of Hamas to negotiate with Israel on the basis of two states founded on the 1967 borders. He also expressed concern at the current serious humanitarian situation in the Occupied Territories.
While in New York, I attended a business lunch with senior Irish-American executives of US companies. I also attended various business related events organised by Enterprise Ireland.
I received a courtesy call from His Excellency, Mr. Mustafa Abubakar, the Governor of Aceh in Indonesia on 17 May. It was a very brief but cordial meeting. Our discussion focussed on the devastation of Indonesia by the tsunami of 2004 and the subsequent recovery work. The governor thanked Ireland for our generous contribution to the relief and to the recovery effort, and the ongoing contacts.
I did not attend the June European Council due to the death of former Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey. The Minister for Foreign Affairs attended the Council in my place. As I will make a statement on the Council shortly, I will at this stage merely give a summary account of its proceedings.
The June European Council considered a wide range of issues on the European agenda. In particular, it examined how Europe listens to and works for its citizens and how the future of Europe debate and the period of reflection on the European Constitution are to be carried forward.
It is not possible to divorce the debate on the European Constitution from the day-to-day business of the Union. If we can convince people that their daily concerns are being met, if the broad economic climate in the Union improves and confidence recovers and if we can create more jobs and give hope to the unemployed, then the prospects for the European Constitution will improve.
(later)
Mr. Gormley: I apologise for not hearing the Taoiseach’s original reply. The Taoiseach is aware that he was criticised for attending the UN conference on AIDS. Does he agree that much of this criticism was unwarranted? I was glad he attended and can confirm that his speech was well received at the UN, particularly by the African nations. I was sitting beside the delegation from Lesotho, which was very happy.
An Ceann Comhairle: Does the Deputy wish to ask a question?
Mr. Gormley: I do not often get the opportunity to praise the Taoiseach—–
Mr. Boyle: Does the Ceann Comhairle wish to complain?
Mr. Gormley: If the Ceann Comhairle wishes to complain, that is fine.
It was noticeable that many world leaders did not turn up at the UN. Does the Taoiseach agree this was regrettable? Can he explain the reluctance on the part of world leaders to take the problem of AIDS seriously? As the Taoiseach is aware, it is a major problem which has devastated Africa. Is it the case that such leaders simply bury their heads in the sand?
The Taoiseach: I thank the Deputy for his comments. I also appreciate his involvement in the meetings related to the summit.
In common with many other matters, Ireland’s position in this regard is not widely understood at home. Our role has nothing to do with me personally. Ireland has played a role in this regard for the past ten years through its non-governmental organisations, religious orders and general efforts.
Unfortunately, many world leaders could not care less. They do not pay much interest to the 0.7% target or the AIDS issue. I know this because for the past decade, I have been in touch with the United Nations organisations which deal with these issues. They frequently come to Dublin and Europe and I always make a point of meeting them. A host of significant and wealthy countries do not consider this to be a major issue on their doorsteps, so - que sera. That is regrettable. I have been a plague on my colleagues in Europe for the past nine years on this issue. We made them suffer a fair bit during the Irish Presidency through the efforts which can be made during a presidency. Unfortunately, it is a problem that a number of countries do not see as a major item for the agenda. They speak about the immigration issue but ignore Africa on the other issue. They have it wrong and they are well used to listening to my view on this. Some take a different view. Some non-EU countries such as Norway and Luxemburg play a part in this. It is important that we continue trying to highlight it.
There is huge respect for Ireland in Africa. The last time we stood for a vote in the United Nations, which was to do with this type of issue, every country in Africa without exception supported Ireland. They hold in huge regard the resources we give and the respect Irish people have given for generations, at one time it was missionaries and now, increasingly, it is NGOs and many civic groups. This is not a small issue, it is a major one and this country should keep pursuing it.
The programmes in which we are involved in Mozambique have made an extraordinary impact even though we are only a small country. If bigger countries engaged, it could have an enormous impact. Otherwise, we will always be trying to stabilise the situation. In five years time there will only be slight reductions whereas if others engaged in it in a major way, took it seriously and listened to Kofi Annan and the UN bodies working on it, it could make a huge impact. That is not the case today. The UN and EU conferences we held here were hugely important. We must try to keep those initiatives going every few years, perhaps not every year.