Ireland pledges €43.5m for UN development fund
Ireland is to contribute over €40m the United Nations for vital development work, it was confirmed today.
Conor Lenihan, Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights, said the €43.5m funding was an important element of Ireland’s overall support for the UN.
The contributions include €10.6m for UNICEF, €16.2m for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), €3.1m for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), €3.3m for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and €2.75m for the World Health Organisation.
Mr Lenihan, who is in New York at a high-level meeting on Aids, said the funds and programmes depend largely on voluntary contributions from UN members like Ireland.
“Our contributions to the UN have been increasing steadily in recent years,” he said.
“UN leadership is essential to meeting some of the greatest challenges of our time including combating HIV/AIDS, protecting human rights, supporting victims of international or civil conflict, and developing democratic and accountable systems of government.”
Mr Lenihan said issues of reform were high on the UN agenda.
“Ireland is a strong supporter of the reform underway. Our financial support for and engagement with the funds and programmes means that we can encourage the reform process in a positive way and help build a better UN,” he said.
