Louth diplomats on helping Ireland win seat on UN Council
‘IT was a real win for Ireland and for the Wee County,’ says Dundalk native Brendan Rogers, Deputy Secretary General at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who headed up Ireland’s successful bid for the non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for two years spanning 2021-2022.
Brendan returned to Ireland from a posting to Thailand, where as Ambassador he had set up Ireland’s first embassy, to work on the campaign with a team which included Ireland’s Ambassador to the UN, Drogheda woman Geraldine Byrne Nason and young diplomats Sharon Lennon from Jenkinstown, Aoife Erraught from Ravensdale and Patrick Rooney from Darver.
‘ There is a very proud history in Louth of working with the UN as Frank Aiken was the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1962 which was when Ireland’s first time on the Security Council,’ he recalls
While the contributions of former President Mary Robinson and Bono might have captured the headlines, it was the hard behind the scenes work by the Department of Foreign Affairs which led to Ireland’s success in what was billed ‘ the group of death’ to win the non-permanent seat on the 15 strong Security Council.
Ireland first announced its bid for a seat back in 2005 but the campaign really got underway three years ago with Ireland having to capture the hearts and votes of nations around the world in order to win the seat against Canada and Norway.
‘ This is Ireland’s fourth time sitting on the Security Council,’ says Brendan. ‘ The first time was in 1962, then in 1981-82 and 2001-02.’
‘ There has always been a lot of activity when we are on the Council,’ he notes. ‘In 1962 we had the Cuban missile crisis, in 1981-82 we had the Falklands War, and in 2001-02 we had 9/11’.
Now Ireland is preparing to take its seat in January 2021 as the world struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic.
He believes that the global pandemic has heightened awareness about the importance of the UN and its work to create a safe and secure world.
‘As an Irishman Dr Michael Ryan of the World Health Organisation said, no one of us is safe until all of us are safe and it’s the same with the United Nations as none of us are secure and safe until all of us are secure and safe.’
‘Our win with 192 votes is a vote of confidence in Ireland’s reputation and regard since we joined the UN in December 1955,’ says Brendan. The successful bid has given the country ‘a major lift’ and they have been delighted with the public response to the win.
While the UN Security Council is the supreme body for peace in the world, its work and influence goes beyond that, he continues. ‘We are often asked what does it do for someone in Bay Estate for example, but when international peace and security rules, it means Ireland can safely trade and for a small nation open nation that’s important. It also attracts foreign investment into the country and means international visitors can travel here.’
‘ The safer and more secure the world with less people in poverty, the better it is for Ireland.’
Brendan is remaining in Dublin in the Department, as is Patrick Rooney from Darver. Patrick studied politics and economics at UCD and worked in the Department of Finance for two and a half years before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs, where he is private secretary to the Secretary General Niall Byrne. He works out of Ivy House, and says: ‘I love the work, it’s very varied, every day is different.’