1.2 Importance of Manufacturing to Ireland

Enhancing our Expertise Abroad

New Overseas Enterprise Offices

Bord Bia focused recent expansion efforts on increasing reach and impact through existing offices rather than new openings. This was manifested with the opening of Thinking House Asia in Bord Bia’s Shanghai office, to deliver specialist market-insight services for Irish exporters previously delivered only through Dublin or London.

Global Ireland 2025 recognised the importance of ensuring that mission staff have the appropriate level of expertise to carry out their duties and to make an impact. Sector-specific experts are being appointed in strategic locations across the globe:

To complement the appointments already made in Berlin and London in 2019, Trade Counsellors were appointed to Washington and Beijing in early 2020. The Washington post is designed to reflect the increasing importance of Ireland’s strategic trade and investment interests in the current evolving US policy context. The appointment to Beijing was based on the need to build on Ireland’s growing trade and investment relationship with China, and to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges that present in an emerging economy of China’s size. This is the first deployment at Attaché level to the Embassy in Beijing.

The wider team in Asia was also expanded with additional specialists appointed in Singapore and Shanghai.

A key undertaking for Enterprise Ireland (EI) has been a targeted expansion and strengthening of its overseas presence, support the diversification of Irish exports. Eight offices were opened in 2019 Munich, Lyon, Manchester, Copenhagen, Montreal, Seattle, Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City. These new locations give EI and Ireland a global reach through forty overseas office presences.

During 2020, EI worked to embed the new offices into the Enterprise Ireland overseas network; building buyer relationships in markets where growth opportunities have been identified for Irish exporters.

The Government is maintaining and developing a network of nine Financial Attachés who are assigned to Irish missions abroad. This includes a team assigned to Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union, the OECD in Paris, and attachés assigned to the Irish Embassies in Berlin and London. Irish officials are also seconded to the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC and, more recently, to the UK Treasury in London.

IDA Ireland (IDA) moved to a new Global HQ in 2019 and additional staff were added in Dublin across a number of business functions such as Property Marketing, Operations, Regions and IT to support the work of the Agency’s Overseas Marketing staff and to facilitate the delivery of regional targets. During the period covered by this report, in North America, IDA expanded its network with new offices or staff in Toronto; Seattle; Mountain View, California; Atlanta; New York; and Chicago. In Europe, additional staff were appointed to Paris, Frankfurt and London. “Pathfinders” (representatives who assess the opportunities for opening an office) have been appointed in each of the following Pioneering Markets - Brazil, Russia, Turkey, Middle East, and South Africa.

Agriculture Attachés are appointed to strategic locations to assist with trade development and facilitation, and in further developing relationships at a political and official level.

These contacts are crucial to Ireland’s efforts to gain new market access, and, to widen and broaden our existing levels of trade both in value and volume. Agriculture attachés in Washington DC, London, Brussels, Rome, Paris, Geneva, Beijing, Abu Dhabi have been supplemented by additional attachés in Berlin, Mexico City and Tokyo in 2019 and in Seoul in 2020.

Figure from page 12

The Department of Defence is increasing Ireland’s presence in international organisations with an increased staff presence in the new European Commission DG for Defence Industry and Space, the European Defence Agency, the EU Military Staff and NATO. An Official has been selected to be the first Defence Attaché to work in Ireland’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York in support of our UN Security Council membership and on UN connectivity.

In 2020 specialist Cultural Officers were recruited by the Government for the first time to serve in New York, London and Berlin. These locations reflect the strategic importance of Ireland’s cultural relations with those countries as well as the global cultural significance of the three cities.

Outlook for 2021

Planned embassy openings in Kyiv, Manila and Rabat were delayed in 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, but work continues and it is planned that they will open, along with a Consulate General in Manchester, in 2021. In March 2021, the Government announced plans to open a new embassy in Tehran in 2023.

The Government will identify locations for further openings later in 2021, which will be chosen based on a range of factors, including our national, political, economic and trade priorities. Further strengthening of the existing network will also continue, based on a number of factors, including availability of resources.

Consideration is being given to the appointment of Agriculture Attachés in South East Asia in the short to medium term.

The Government intends to appoint additional specialist Cultural Officers to priority locations in the course of 2021.

Screen Ireland is committed to establishing a presence in Los Angeles and expects to make an appointment there in 2021.

Enterprise Ireland’s global footprint will be reviewed in 2021.

IDA Ireland will appoint a Pathfinder to Israel in the coming months.

Tourism Ireland intends to expand its presence in the United States and will open an office in San Francisco in January 2022. It will continue to scope market entry to Japan, including the appropriate level of presence.

Figure from page 13

2.1.1 CASE STUDY Ireland House Tokyo

In September 2020, the Government announced the design for the new landmark Ireland House in Tokyo, which will serve as a flagship model for the concept across the mission network. Strong collaboration across Team Ireland has been evident in ensuring this point has been reached.

The new building will contain; a chancery, offices for the state agencies, promotion and outreach spaces suitable for conferences, exhibitions, performances and other promotional events, as well the official accommodation of the Ambassador.

The collaborative design ensures it will be a convening and meeting place for the Irish community in Japan. There is a firm commitment to create a space that can represent the best of Ireland in Japan, which will allow us to do business and grow our trade and investment in this important market.

This flagship Ireland House, due to be completed in 2024, will be a showcase for Ireland in Japan and a platform from which to promote deeper political, economic and cultural ties. Tokyo Ireland House will be an important asset for Team Ireland in our efforts to build Ireland’s visibility in Japan and advance our interests. There is firm commitment to create a space that can represent the best of Ireland in Japan, which will allow us to do business and grow our trade and investment in this important market.

The ‘Ireland House’ concept brings Embassies or Consulates and State Agencies under one roof in critical overseas markets to ensure a joined-up Team Ireland approach to promoting Ireland abroad.

The project is currently in its final Design Phase with construction due to begin in Spring 2022. Strong collaboration across Team Ireland has been evident in ensuring this point has been reached. Team Ireland in Tokyo encompasses the Embassy and the State enterprise agencies which will operate their promotional and business activities from the new building: IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland.

Since the launch of the concept under Global Ireland 2025, over 20 Embassies and Consulates have been converted into Ireland Houses, with plans underway to expand the model to other key locations.

The Government is also in the process of finalising works for new Ireland Houses in Mumbai, Los Angeles, and San Francisco and opportunities are being sought for an Ireland House in Manchester.

Figure from page 14

Figure from page 15

SECTION 3

Enhancing Ireland’s Global Influence

3.1 Promoting Ireland’s Values Abroad

Ireland at the UN

Outlook for 2021

Global Ireland 2025 highlights the need for Ireland to deepen our engagement with international partners, particularly through multilateral organisations including the United Nations. Ireland’s campaign for election to the UN Security Council for the 2021- 2022 term was a central element of this strategy. Ireland competed against Norway and Canada for the two available seats. Ireland’s campaign was officially launched at UN headquarters in New York in July 2018 and the campaign was a whole-of-Government effort, culminating in our successful election on 17 June 2020.

Ireland’s priorities for our term on the UN Security Council are: building peace; strengthening conflict prevention; and ensuring accountability, in particular for breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law.

We are acting as Facilitator of the Council’s role regarding the Iran nuclear agreement; chairing the Somalia Sanctions Committee; and co-chairing the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security (with Mexico). Ireland and Niger are penholders on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

This expression of confidence in Ireland by our international partners provides us with an important opportunity to contribute to the promotion of global peace and security, as well as helping us to promote our values – the values of the UN Charter – through supporting peace building, strengthening conflictprevention and ensuring accountability for those who break international law.

Ireland and Norway are joint penholders of the highly politicised Syria humanitarian file, preparing an annual resolution to enable humanitarian aid to be delivered from Turkey to c. 3 million people in an area of North-West Syria outside control of the Assad regime. Ireland is co-chair of the informal Security Council Expert Group on Climate and Security, looking at climate change as a multiplier of conflict and instability.

Each year, Ireland is represented by the President, the Taoiseach and Government Ministers at the High- Level Week of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In September 2021, Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Security Council – coinciding with UNGA75 High Level Week.

In 2020, these meetings were held virtually: President Higgins addressed an event commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the UN; the Taoiseach delivered Ireland’s National Address to the General Assembly and made a statement at the Summit on Biodiversity; and the Minister for Foreign Affairs represented Ireland at events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Figure from page 16

Ireland’s Overseas Peacekeeping Missions

Other missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed with continued Government approval are; the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the NATO-led international security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo; United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO); United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO); and United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

As of the end of 2020, Ireland had contributed on a continuous basis an average of 567 Defence Forces personnel to 10 different missions throughout the world. Defence Forces personnel also deployed to a range of international organisations and National representations. A total of 1,607 members of the Permanent Defence Force served overseas in various missions during the year.

The Defence Organisation provides staff to the Partnership for Peace under NATO, and OSCE headquarters and has assigned an additional military officer and an assistant principal to PMUNNY to support Peacekeeping matters during the Security Council seat.

The main overseas missions in which the Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 350 personnel and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 138 personnel.

At EU level, the Defence Organisation has increased its presence in EU institutions and structures including the Commission, the European Defence Agency and with the Military Planning and Conduct Capability. An officer has also been assigned to the NATO Cyber Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia and another to NATO Special Operations Headquarters in NATO. These appointments will support Defence Forces capability development across both domains and in the case of the cyber assignment in Tallinn, also support the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and the National Cyber Security Centre.

Since June 2019, a contingent of the Permanent Defence Forces has participated in MINUSMA, the United Nations authorised operation in Mali. Currently, there are 2 officers deployed in MINUSMA Force Headquarters in Bamako and an additional 12 personnel, including members of the Army Ranger Wing, deployed with the German Armed Forces at Camp Castor in GAO, Mali. In addition to the UN mission, there are 20 members of the DF currently serving the EU training mission in Mali, (EUTM Mali).

Outlook for 2021

Operation IRINI, launched on 1 April 2020, is a European Union military CSDP operation in the Mediterranean comprising of aerial, satellite and maritime assets, primarily tasked with supporting the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. Since May 2020, three members of the Defence Forces are based at the Operation Headquarters in Rome.

The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will continue to maintain a significant overseas presence both in international institutions and on international peacekeeping and training operations into the future. The Department of Defence will also continue to develop and expand the range of bilateral defence engagements.

Figure from page 17

Building new Alliances in Defence Training and Cooperation

The contingent also includes a Hungarian Platoon within the Polish contingent and Maltese staff officers within the Defence Forces contingent. In our continuing support to Malta, we now train a significant number of their cadets and officers through the Cadet School and the Command and Staff course in the Curragh.

Ireland continues to progress its military training pledges made at the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial in Vancouver in 2017 and in New York in 2019. During 2020, Ireland pledged personnel and equipment to the UN Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS), and also pledged to deliver training in Ireland and overseas for troop contributing country personnel deployed to UN missions. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this training was unable to proceed as planned but it is hoped that it can be rescheduled as soon as circumstances permit.

In recent years we have developed a bilateral relationship with France to discuss and exchange views on security and defence issues and there is now an annual civil and military strategic dialogue on issues of common interest. Ireland is working with the French Embassy on a programme to train soldiers for Francophone missions at Alliance Française and to embed them for four months in the French army to advance their practical knowledge of French. We are providing French soldiers with the same opportunity within the Defence Forces in Ireland although this has been constrained by restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deficits in training act as a barrier to effective peacekeeping and the courses being pledged by Ireland are responding to the identified needs of the UN. As a longstanding contributor to UN peacekeeping missions globally, Ireland is acutely aware of the challenging nature of missions and of the importance of having people trained to the highest standards in advance of deployment.

We also have a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK on Defence Cooperation. The cooperation includes staff-to-staff talks at senior policy and military level on issues of common interest, including international peace and security, peacekeeping and capability development. Mutual exchanges of training courses are a key element of the MoU and we have also agreed an MoU on the exchange of classified information.

Ireland is reaching out to other EU member States with a view to building our alliances to protect and safeguard our interests within the EU on CSDP issues and also in support of our ongoing participation in UN mandated crisis management operations. Increasingly we are partnering with other countries which can support and complement our overseas deployments.

The current deployment of the ARW to Mali is supported by Germany as Framework Nation and builds on our participation in the German led EU Battlegroup. In UNIFIL in Lebanon, we have partnered with Poland and developed the joint IRISHPOLBATT contingent with Poland providing a joint Battalion level contingent to the UN mission.

Commencing 2021, the Joint Plan of Action on Ireland Germany cooperation will include defence cooperation. This reflects our common endeavour in EU Battlegroup participation and also the Defence Forces deployment with Germany in MINUSMA, the UN mission in Mali, along with extensive engagement on defence initiatives in CSDP. The first Secretary General/State Secretary meeting between Ireland and Germany was held in February 2021.

International Development

International financial institutions (IFIs) also play an important role in Ireland’s development cooperation. Our membership of IFIs allows us to actively participate in globally significant policy discussions, and to strengthen our political and economic ties to increasingly important regions. Ireland officially became the 81st member of the African Development Bank in April 2020.

Global Ireland 2025 recognises the vital role of international development in shaping the world in which we live. A Better World, Ireland’s Policy for International Development, was launched in February 2019. Its publication marked the fulfilment of a core commitment within the Government’s Global Ireland programme, and represents a significant milestone both in Ireland’s international development policy and broader foreign policy. It reinforces Ireland’s commitment to the pledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reach ‘the furthest behind first’. A Better World commits Ireland to scaling up resources and capacity across four policy priorities: gender equality; reducing humanitarian need; climate action; and strengthening governance. It also outlines Ireland’s commitment to intensifying work in three clusters of interventions where we have proven expertise: protection, food and people.

On joining the Bank, Ireland became a member of the Nordic + India constituency consisting of Denmark, Finland, India, Norway and Sweden. Ireland seeks to ensure that the policy priorities of The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World, Global Ireland 2025 and A Better World are reflected at the constituency. This is achieved by engaging in policy dialogue and programme and project oversight, with a direct line to the Bank’s board through the constituency’s executive director, represented by Norway.

Outlook for 2021

Since A Better World was launched, significant progress has been made in implementing the policy, with a number of key deliverables achieved. The new Africa Strategy, ‘Global Ireland: Ireland’s Strategy for Africa to 2025’ reaffirms Ireland’s commitment to working with our African partners to achieve peace, prosperity and sustainable development, and to increasing Ireland’s trade and investment ties with Africa.

COVID-19 has reversed development gains hard won over recent decades, especially in many of the world’s poorer countries which are the focus of Ireland’s development cooperation. In addition to the health impacts, the pandemic is resulting in wider societal and economic challenges. The headline priority for 2021 remains the response to the COVID-19 crisis. This includes Irish support to the global vaccine effort. At least €50 million has been allocated to global health in 2021, which includes support to major multilateral partners such as WHO and the Global Fund. In addition, Ireland will continue to invest in strengthening public health systems, so countries can continue to deal with other ongoing health challenges, such as TB and malaria. There is also ongoing partnership between the HSE and the Embassy network to engage with local Ministries of Health on health system strengthening, as well as a new pilot programme to provide mental health support to frontline health workers.

A new Strategy for Partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was also developed, which outlines how Ireland can help amplify SIDS’ voices at the global level and areas of direct partnership with SIDS. Of the 36 commitments set out in the SIDS Strategy, 32 have been partly or fully implemented to date.

Increases in Budget 2021 to the allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) represent a further step towards achieving the UN target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to ODA by 2030. This additional funding will enable us to respond to the needs of those most affected by Covid-19 and to step up our work on climate action. A dedicated Climate Unit has been established within Irish Aid and tasked with developing a strategy for climate finance and to build on Ireland’s emerging climate diplomacy.

During 2021, the new stand-alone Climate Unit will step up actions to climate-proof all ODA, as set out in A Better World, and develop a new climate strategy. Building on previous work, the Unit’s emphasis will be on adaptation for the poorest and most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as well as developing a Sustainable Blue Economy. In addition, the Unit will work more intensively on climate and security, supporting our role on this within the UN Security Council. The highlight of 2021 will be the COP summit in Glasgow at which Ireland hopes to play a strong role.