UN60 - Overview of Events
On 14 December 1955, Ireland joined the United Nations. 2015 marks both the UN’s 70th year in existence and Ireland’s 60th year of membership. The visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Ireland in May 2015 marked the launch of a programme of public events and projects to celebrate 60 years of active engagement in the UN, which has been organised to raise awareness and promote debate about our contribution to one of the most important and ambitious projects in world history. The United Nations was set up after the horrors of World War II by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN - a total membership of 193 countries.
Though our membership of the UN, Ireland has played a significant role in the promotion of international peace. We have an unbroken record of service to blue-helmet peacekeeping since 1958, serving in such difficult and challenging places as the Middle East, the Congo and West and North Africa. As the threats to peace in the world are changing – conflict, terrorism, epidemics such as Ebola, climate change, hunger and the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War – we need to look at new ways of maintaining peace.
#IrelandUN60
Since joining the UN in 1955, Ireland and the world have changed so much. Through the UN, Ireland has played a role as a small but powerful voice through the three UN pillars of peace and security, human rights and development.
As we look back on the past six decades in the United Nations, we also look forward to the next 60 years of Ireland taking its place amongst the nations of the world to create a better future for humanity.
Find out more about the programme of events:
- 25 May Dublin Castle Iveagh House Lecture; UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon "The UN at 70: Looking Back, Looking Forward"
- 26 May Iveagh House, Dublin Young People and Sustainable Development: A Conversation with UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon
- 2 July University College Dublin Irish Humanitarian Summit
- September Schools nationwide Launch of Reference Map of Ireland’s UN Engagement Across The Globe
- September/October United Nations, New York UN Youth Delegate Programme in New York
- Anniversary Exhibition on Ireland’s First Years at the United Nations (1955-1957)
- 29 October Iveagh House, Dublin Open Policy Debate: New Security Challenges for the Multilateral Order
- 12 November Dublin UN Peacekeeping - A Celebration of Ireland's Proud Engagement
- 19 November RDS, Dublin, Change the World: YOUth Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals
- 17 December Iveagh House, Dublin Symposium: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Ireland’s UN Membership