Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN in Geneva
Noel White
Hello!
Welcome to the website of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN in Geneva.
The Permanent Mission provides Ireland’s representation to the United Nations Office in Geneva, and to the range of UN Specialised Agencies and other International Organisations based here.
The Mission was set up in Geneva in 1922 to represent Ireland at the League of Nations, which Ireland formally joined in September 1923. Subsequently, from December 1955, it provided Ireland’s representation to the United Nations.
Geneva is home to a wide range of UN bodies. It provides headquarters for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; the International Organisation for Migration; the World Health Organisation; the International Labour Organisation; the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
It also provides the seat for the work of the UN Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament. Geneva is home to the World Trade Organisation and to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. There are some 40 international organisations based here alongside more than 400 non-governmental organisations.
A strong and active commitment to the UN is a cornerstone of Ireland’s foreign policy. The UN is the principal international framework through which Ireland works to promote peace and security, development, humanitarian action, disarmament, global health and human rights. Our work in Geneva, promoting Ireland’s interests and values, is informed by our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN in September 2015.
The Permanent Mission in Geneva works closely with the representatives of other European Union Member States to advance our shared priorities.
The team at the Mission is drawn from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Health.
I hope you find this website a useful to introduction to the work of the Permanent Mission here in Geneva.
Noel White
Ambassador, Permanent Representative