Tánaiste defends UN after criticism from President

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said many of the issues impacting the world today lie with individual countries and not the UN as a whole. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has strongly defended the UN following harsh criticisms from President Michael D Higgins who said the organisation is "losing credibility".

As world leaders, including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, gather at UN headquarters in New York this week, President Higgins has taken aim at what he described as the "falling" organisation.

The President said the UN is now "unable to stop war, it is unable to end famine, it is unable to stop conflicts, it is unable to manage migration" around the world.

Asked about the comments, Mr Martin said: "I don't know where the world would be without United Nations, quite frankly. 

"The challenges are enormous right now, they would be far, far worse without United Nations."

Millions and millions of people around the world would be destitute, would be very much the poorer without the United Nations and without agencies of the United Nations.

Mr Martin said many of the issues impacting the world today lie with individual countries and not the UN as a whole.

However, he said the Security Council does need reform to address a "paralysis and gridlock" within it.

"Members of the Security Council should show leadership and unfortunately, we've got the opposite from Russia. 

"We have countries like Russia, which invades Ukraine, which does enormous damage. That has consequential impacts on hunger; on people's quality of life; it causes additional displacement of people millions and millions of displaced; that then in turn has a knock-on effect on education achievement, healthcare, psychological wellbeing of children."

Asked whether the President's intervention was appropriate, Mr Martin said he had not seen the comments, but added: "The President is passionate about global affairs and has been passionate about global hunger and he has led well, in respect of these issues."

President Michael D Higgins said the UN is now 'unable to stop war, it is unable to end famine, it is unable to stop conflicts, it is unable to manage migration'.

Mr Martin also addressed remarks made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who admitted on Monday that the Government made the "wrong call" during the first covid Christmas when pubs and restaurants were opened and a lockdown delayed.

Asked if the 'meaningful Christmas' of 2020, which Mr Martin he signed off on as Taoiseach was a mistake, he said: "No, I mean, I think that's completely taken out of context."

Mr Martin also hinted that he may write his own memoir to put his side of the covid story across.

"I'm pretty clear about this that I'm not going to deal with covid-19 through sound bites at doorsteps like this, but I'm going to give a more comprehensive perspective both in the context of review and given that the number of books on this is on the increase, I may very well have to put pen to paper with my perspective on it in a coherent and comprehensive way."