ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT AARHUS UNIVERSITY “SMALL STATES IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER”
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT AARHUS UNIVERSITY “SMALL STATES IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER” TUESDAY, 12TH OCTOBER, 2010
Rektor, mine damer og herrer, jeg er meget glad for at være her i Århus i dag.
Rector, ladies and gentlemen, I am very glad to be here in Århus today.
Thank you very much Rector Holm-Nielsen for your very warm welcome and for your kind invitation to visit Aarhus University. One of Ireland’s greatest poets, Nobel laureate, Seamus Heaney, wrote in his poem the Tollund Man, “Some day I will go to Aarhus”. I am delighted that that day for me has arrived. It is a real pleasure to come to the historic city of Århus, the second city of Denmark, and to join you here in the heart of Jutland.
I want to first pay tribute to Michael Böss, the Director of the University’s Centre for Irish Studies which has been a laboratory of successful Irish-Danish cooperation. The ongoing work of the Centre not only opens the people of Ireland and Denmark up to one another but creates a platform for both to make a shared contribution to the broader concerns of our shared planet.
Ireland and Denmark face many similar issues in defining our place and role in a very complex world. There are both old and new political, economic and moral realities already defining the shape of the twenty-first century. The phrase, New World Order, took on currency as the structures created in the wake of the Second World War broke down. That division into blocs, into east and west, was marked by tension and confrontation but also by a degree of crude certainty. With its passing we live now in a world where the centres of power are more numerous and the international arena more convoluted. We have never been more aware of the inter-connected nature of our existence on this planet, with the good and the bad that that brings. Transnational problems like global warming, rebuilding a damaged economic and failed ethical architecture and tackling international terrorism are among the many new tribulations that transcend the boundaries of sovereign states. As well as the rise of new emerging powers, some non-state actors are also playing a bigger role on the international stage. However, despite the increased pace of physical and electronic connection in a shrinking world, the nation state still remains a key point of identification for people and an essential channel for the management and betterment of our world.
Faced with such intricate realities, there is much that we smaller states can do to protect our interests and to contribute to a better, fairer, more peaceful world order. As a small state with a strong national empathy with nations still mired in poverty, conflict and oppression, arising directly from our own historic experience, Ireland uses the most effective instruments available to us and compatible with our national sentiment – a commitment to collective security and multilateralism; a belief in diplomacy, often requiring patience and persistence; an ethic of military neutrality and of passionate involvement in global peacekeeping through the United Nations; an emphasis on the human dimension in international relations; and an awareness of the great potential which resides in the vast global Irish family, at least twelve times bigger than the population of our island.
Denmark and Ireland share a passionate commitment to multilateralism. Our leaders and diplomats have worked closely together in organisations such as, the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe and of course the United Nations with Ireland and Denmark both serving with distinction for several terms on the Security Council and on U.N peacekeeping duties throughout the world.
For small countries like ours, this heightened involvement, whether on the ground in UN operations or at the heart of the UN machinery is, I think, a potent illustration for our own people of the obligations and responsibility, as well as the profile and opportunity that come with the management of foreign policy. Our commitment to the UN and our desire to improve its effectiveness has also led naturally to a close involvement in recent efforts to reform the Organisation. Ireland believes in the need for a reformed and expanded UN Security Council, more reflective of global realities in the twenty-first century. It is particularly important that smaller nations have improved opportunities to serve on and bring their perspective to the Council.
Any discussion of the UN institutions brings to mind an important aspect of small state involvement in world affairs and that is at the level of personnel. Small states have often contributed significantly to the cause of peace and international cooperation through the work of individual citizens. I think of Sean Lester who was High Commissioner of Danzig in the difficult period before war broke out and who went on to be the League of Nations’ last Secretary General. The list of Irish personnel who have served and continue to serve the UN system with skill and dedication is long and distinguished. An image which stays with many Irish people of a certain age is of an Irish diplomat Freddie Boland as President of the UN General Assembly this week fifty years ago, calling Nikita Khrushchev to order as the Soviet leader banged on the desk with his shoe!
Halting the proliferation of nuclear weapons has been a major focus of Irish foreign policy for many years. The process that led to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is a fine example of the difference a small member state can make. From the first raising of the idea in the General Assembly in 1958 it took persistence, skilful application of UN procedures and sustained lobbying to achieve Assembly approval in 1961 of the
“Irish resolution” and eventually the NPT came into being in 1968. The Treaty now operates in a changed world and new risks have appeared; and so Ireland remains committed to the 5-yearly reviews. Ireland and Denmark enjoyed excellent cooperation in the run-up to the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty held in May and worked very closely in the Vienna Group of 10. We also share common interests on the issue of conventional weapons. Like Ireland, Denmark has signed and ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was adopted at an international conference held in Dublin in 2008. We were very pleased to work with Denmark on this landmark treaty which is of lasting value for mankind and will make a real, positive difference to the lived lives of civilians in zones of conflict.
Both Ireland and Denmark have long devoted priority to respect for human rights. Our historical experience of having to struggle over many generations for human rights in our own country, informs our desire to play a strong role in promoting human rights internationally. By focusing its efforts, a small state can seek to advance change on individual issues and Denmark’s proud tradition of action to strengthen the international legal basis for fighting torture is an excellent example of the impact that a small state can have on the international stage.
I am proud that Denmark and Ireland are amongst the top providers globally of overseas development aid, on a per capita basis. Indeed it is striking to note that globally, the top per capita donors are all smaller countries. As such we are a strong symbol of hope in a world so easily careless about the silent endemically poor. Our own history of poverty and particularly of starvation in the 19th century which killed a million of our people led to a culture of outreach to the world’s poorest, for we are a first world country with a still-vivid third world memory. Large numbers of Irish missionaries funded directly by donations from the Irish public blazed a trail that is today enhanced by an active NGO sector, a still very generous Irish public and considerable financial assistance from our Government which comes through Irish Aid. We give for its own sake without seeking any benefit for Ireland beyond the fulfilment that comes from being of service to others in need.
Small states, just as others, have to make their way in the world and look out for the well-being, interests and progress of their own people. As in political and foreign affairs, small states have a considerable interest in a rules-based and predictable international system in trade and economic affairs and Ireland is an active participant in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the IMF, the OECD and a range of other multilateral economic fora. But there are particular challenges connected with our size and history and these have stimulated innovative measures that now form the basis of our approach. A very small domestic market and the lack of a large indigenous industrial sector have led to a strong emphasis on attracting foreign direct investment.
We have had success. Our integration in the EU’s single market, our Atlantic location, stable governance and tradition of social partnership have proven appealing to multinational corporations. Our work force is young, well-educated and flexible, the environment is pro-business and corporate tax rates are competitive. Intel, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and major players in the pharmaceutical industry are among the almost 1000 companies that have located the hub of their European networks in Ireland. Ireland has been particularly successful in attracting Life Sciences and ICT Information investment. Indeed, I am delighted that a number of prominent Danish companies in these fields, such as Leo Pharma, have chosen to base operations in Ireland. We are committed to retaining our leading edge in the sectors which we have already attracted. But a well-honed sense of where the next developments and opportunities will arise, and the agility and knowledge to respond quickly, are crucial to staying ahead. Again, this flexibility and responsiveness is a key advantage of small states. New industries with considerable growth potential are emerging. One of those follows from the now widespread realisation that the days of the carbon-intensive economy are numbered. Denmark has been among the leaders in raising consciousness on this.
As the world economy positions itself for recovery and as technology advances, sectors such as energy and environment-related industries will see fast growth. Ireland is now looking to attract investment and build our capacity in areas such as Clean Technology. In this we can learn from the example of Denmark and your pioneering progress in Green Industry and Green Energy. I had the opportunity earlier today to see some of the innovative and impressive work being done in the sustainable energy field on Samsø and to get to know the fascinating work of the Energy Academy and the BioMob project whose work in Denmark, Europe and beyond represent exciting progress for a sustainable future.
Research and investment in sustainable technology is part of the broad approach the Irish Government is taking to economic recovery, employment generation and sustainable enterprise growth. As a small open economy, Ireland, like Denmark, is particularly susceptible to movements in the global economy. Right now, Ireland is working hard to stabilise our public finances, improve competitiveness, create jobs and repair the banking system. Lasting recovery will in large measure be export-led, so we have a very real interest in the wider international discussions of global economic health.
We are deeply conscious in Ireland of our huge global Irish family and are seeking out new ways to connect its members – thought to number seventy million worldwide. In 2009, the first Global Irish Economic Forum was held in Dublin, bringing together 180 prominent members of the global Irish community to discuss ideas and options with business and political leaders based in Ireland. The Forum has created an invaluable network of highly successful business figures across the globe who now feel that they have a stake in delivering renewed economic growth in Ireland. Harnessing the potential of this invaluable resource would be a fitting tribute to previous generations of Irish emigrants.
I want finally to turn to what I would contend has been the single most significant and positive development for the modern Irish State – our membership of the European Union. Both Denmark and Ireland joined the then European Economic Community on the same day. Membership of the EU over the last almost forty years has been nothing short of transformative for Ireland – as an economy, as a society and as a people.
As a small peripheral island State, the solidarity that is intrinsic to the European project has played a pivotal role in supporting the development of both our physical and human capital. Support for research and development, innovation, education and training, as well as for public transport, roads and environmental services are the very real legacies of the last three and a half decades. It is said that at a time of crisis, you find out who your real friends are according to an old Irish proverb and for Ireland the framework provided by EU membership, and taking part in the coordinated work to preserve the stability of the eurozone, have been valuable and appreciated bulwarks during these turbulent times. The EU has also been a catalyst for tremendous social progress in terms of women’s rights, workers’ rights and environmental protection to list but a few examples. Importantly too the European Union has been a steadfast partner throughout Northern Ireland’s Peace Process which has successfully changed the tide of Irish history from embedded conflict to a dynamic new partnership. Arguably, the greatest significance of EU membership for Ireland has been the platform it offered us to contribute to the mainstream of international discourse. By combining our voice with those of our partners, our say on topics on the world agenda is greatly amplified.
Across almost the entire range of issues arising on the international agenda – whether it is the pressing need for concerted and comprehensive action to address the existential perils posed by climate change, or the challenges of ensuring energy security, or addressing the fallout from the international financial and economic crisis – cooperation and engagement through the EU has been central to how we in Europe, both small states and large, resolve these issues. Quite simply, these challenges are far too great even for the largest European states to confront alone.
Ireland and Denmark share many of the same values and already have a great track record of working together in a multilateral context. Our shared history in the European Union has allowed us to grow and develop together in a focussed partnership through which the futures of us and our children are entwined. As small states, we both know instinctively and intimately the truth of the old Irish proverb, ‘ní neart go cur le chéile’ – our greatest strength is in working together. Today we collaborate and cooperate in ways that past generations could never have imagined. Now we are called to use this peace, this progress to imagine the next steps we can take between us to secure Europe’s peace, its prosperity and its most effective place in the world.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh, thank you and Mange tak.
Many thanks.