UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon speaks at Dublin Castle

European Defence policy is based around the “Petersberg Tasks”. Composed of humanitarian and rescue tasks, peace-keeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking, these objectives demonstrate not only the humanitarian focus of the EU’s Security and Defence Policy but are also proof positive of Europe’s commitment to responding to the crises in many parts of the world that have cried out for outside intervention. The Lisbon treaty will enable the Union to respond more quickly and coherently to crises by introducing a permanent President of the European Council and a single High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

On his recent visit to Dublin, Ban Ki- Moon reflected these sentiments, saying that if Ireland passes the Lisbon Treaty, it would be “completely in consistence with the goals and ideals of the United Nations”. He expressed surprise that the role of Irish military forces caused confusion during the previous referendum campaign, and drew attention to the need for regional coalitions such as the European Union to be able to respond rapidly to emerging crises with a mandate from the United Nations. He praised the Irish triple lock system, under which the UN mandate is a requirement to send peacekeepers, “not just as a matter of policy but as a matter of law”.

Referring to the Irish- led mission in Chad, he stressed the important role that EU forces play in supporting United Nations peacekeeping work, praising Ireland as an exemplary peacekeeper and an example to other nations. He drew attention to the need for closer international co-operation and greater resourcing of peacekeeping missions. He saw the EU as a model for future missions, saying “The EU offers critical donor support for peacebuilding and early recovery. It has well-developed capacities for crisis management, humanitarian relief and rapid response. And of course, the EU can deploy well-equipped missions as part of, or alongside, UN peacekeeping operations”.

The Irish triple lock, which requires the explicit approval of the Dail, the Seanad and the UN for Irish troops to be deployed mean that Ireland’s involvement in any peacekeeping operation is entirely at its own discretion- a fact that was further reconfirmed by the legal guarantees obtained by the Irish Government. These guarantees state “The Treaty of Lisbon does not affect or prejudice Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality”.

As Ban says “we are in this together”. Irish neutrality has always been a cornerstone of our state, and it should always continue to be. But this does not mean we should bury our heads in the sand and ignore crises in other countries. For alongside our tradition of neutrality has been a proud tradition of serving humanitarian aims in countries like Cambodia, Lebanon, Liberia, and East Timor. As Ban Ki Moon’s remarks demonstrate, The Lisbon Treaty is fully compatible with our neutrality while facilitating more effective leadership in the humanitarian realm.

Irish troops have a proud tradition. Let’s continue it.