Ireland in the Partnership for Peace Programme

Ireland joined the Partnership for Peace framework in 1999. Ireland operates within that framework on the basis of its longstanding policy of military neutrality.

Ireland joined the Partnership for Peace in 1999. The PfP Liaison Office works bilaterally and in cooperation with like-minded missions to advance Ireland's views and interests in this area; including in relation to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and related resolutions, the Protection of Civilians, the Protection of Children and Armed Conflict, and good governance. This work is achieved through appropriate fora such as the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). Ireland also supports decommissioning and disarmament projects through its support for EAPC Trust Funds.

Our participation in the Partnership for Peace has also been concerned with improving the capacity of the Defence Forces to participate in international peace support missions. This participation is founded on a deep commitment to the UN and the values and principals of its Charter that has been a cornerstone of our foreign policy. Ireland is currently contributing to the UN-mandated, NATO-led peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan. In the past, it supported the NATO operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ireland's membership of the UN has seen an unbroken and distinguished involvement in UN peacekeeping. We have a continuous presence in UN peacekeeping since our first deployment in 1958. In this time we have provided a Head of a UN Mission on twelve occasions, a remarkable achievement for a relatively small country. Ireland is currently estimated to be the sixth largest EU troop contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. Ireland's deployments are mainly in the Middle East - Lebanon and the Golan Heights - and in Africa, in addition to the operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Ireland works with like-minded nations to advance human security through the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions and the Protection of Civilians. Ireland contributes to a number of Trust Funds in Partner nations that work for destruction of mines and ammunition or the implementation of UNSCR 1325.

The current NATO Contact Point Embassy in Dublin is the embassy of The Netherlands.