Ambassador Noel White Welcome Message
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 there.
The Permanent Mission was established in Geneva in 1922 with a view to representing 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 the seat of the UN Human Rights Council and of the Conference on Disarmament. It is also headquarters to a number of UN agencies, funds and programmes including 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. Geneva is also the headquarters for the World Trade Organisation, and for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
It is also home to a wide range of civil society organisations.
The UN is the principal international framework through which Ireland works to promote peace and security, disarmament, development, humanitarian action and human rights. A strong and active commitment to the UN is a cornerstone of Ireland’s foreign policy. Our work in Geneva, promoting Ireland’s interests and values, is also informed by the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in September 2015.
The Permanent Mission works closely with the representatives of other European Union Member States to advance our shared priorities.
The team at the Permanent Mission is drawn from the Departments of Foreign Affairs; of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
I hope this website provides a useful introduction to the work of the Permanent Mission here in Geneva.
Noel White
Ambassador, Permanent Representative