Peace and stability

Supporting and sustaining peacebuilding efforts is a signature element of Ireland’s foreign policy.

Ireland’s engagement in conflict resolution and peacebuilding internationally is grounded in our experience of building peace and promoting reconciliation on the island of Ireland.

Through this experience, we have found that inclusive approaches to conflict resolution, which place equality and human rights at their centre, lead to more enduring and sustainable outcomes. Our approach to promoting peace and stability draws on these core values.

Ireland’s approach to peacebuilding is integrated across our political, development and humanitarian work. We do this through engaging actively in the multilateral system, particularly the EU and the UN, and through ongoing engagement bilaterally and with civil society.

Our work on conflict resolution internationally draws on:

• Sharing relevant aspects of our experience of the peace process in Northern Ireland
• Delivering on Ireland’s long-standing commitment to multilateralism, human rights and international law
• Promoting inclusive peace through the Women, Peace and Security and Youth Peace and Security agendas
• Supporting peacebuilding partners and mediation processes
• Investing in development cooperation in fragile and conflict affected settings

Lessons from the Northern Ireland Peace Process

Sharing relevant aspects of Ireland’s experience of the Northern Ireland peace process, a conflict once considered intractable, is an important part of Irish foreign policy.

While every conflict is different, characterised by its own challenges and complexities, there is continued interest around the world in learning from Ireland’s experience of the Northern Ireland peace process. The Good Friday Agreement was anchored in a commitment to inclusivity, equality, human rights, and international law. These values and principles remain core to Ireland’s foreign policy.

We support initiatives to share this experience. These provide an opportunity to tell the story of the island of Ireland and to promote our values and principles on the international stage.

Multilateralism, human rights and international law

Supporting and sustaining peacebuilding efforts through a commitment to multilateralism is a key component of our international development policy and necessary for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We see coordinated support for peacebuilding as a critical part of delivering on the reform of the UN system and the promise it offers for more effective results on the ground.

Ireland also works closely as part of the EU in conflict prevention, crisis response, and peacebuilding. Through EU engagement, including support to the civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions, Ireland contributes to collective efforts to address the root causes of conflict, support dialogue and mediation, and promote sustainable peace.

Ireland’s approach to peacebuilding is also grounded in our commitment to international law and human rights, which are essential foundations for sustainable peace. This includes the need for accountability where violations occur. These remain guiding principles for the resolution of conflicts and protection of the international legal order.

Women, peace and security (WPS)

Ireland has been a steadfast champion of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in 2000. The agenda recognises the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls, as well as their critical roles in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Ireland has long been a strong advocate for the WPS Agenda and is committed to placing women and girls at the centre of our efforts to prevent conflict, sustain peace, and promote inclusive development. The agenda has a strong resonance for Ireland, given the transformative role of women in the Northern Ireland peace process, both in terms of securing the political settlement and in sustaining peace at the community level to this day.

One of the most important aspects of the Agenda is its application and implementation by Member States through National Action Plans. In July 2025, Ireland adopted our Fourth National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security, which runs until 2030. This plan translates the agenda into real, measurable actions Ireland will take both as part of our domestic agenda and in our international engagements.

Learn more about Ireland's commitments on women, peace and security

Youth, peace and security

Informed by our experience of conflict in the island of Ireland, we recognize youth in all their diversity as key agents of peace, not just victims or perpetrators of violence.

This is why Ireland is committed to promote and implement the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) Agenda, as outlined in UNSCR 2250 and subsequent resolutions, which calls for the full, effective and meaningful participation of young people in peace and security efforts.

The global youth population is at an all-time high, with over 1.8 billion young people. Much of today’s population growth occurs in countries affected by conflict, particularly in the Horn of Africa and in West Africa. When given the opportunity, young populations can be a powerful force for positive change, growth and innovation. Through our diplomacy and development cooperation, Ireland promotes an enabling environment that invests in the rights, capacities, inclusion and aspirations of young women and men.

Supporting peacebuilding partners and mediation processes

Ireland supports mediation and conflict resolution processes as part of our approach to promoting peace and stability. We utilise diplomatic, political, and development tools to facilitate peacebuilding and conflict prevention, aligning with Ireland's foreign policy priorities. Our efforts focus on regions strategically important to Ireland, while remaining responsive to emerging conflicts. We work with a range of partners, including professional mediation partners, to foster dialogue and facilitate discreet and constructive discussions. Through these partnerships, Ireland contributes to inclusive peace processes and efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts.

Development cooperation in conflict settings

Global poverty is increasingly associated conflict and fragility. Countries with high and extreme fragility account for 25% of the world’s population but 72% of the world’s extreme poor. Thirty years of progress in eradicating extreme poverty globally have been derailed by the compounding impacts of conflict, economic shocks and climate change.

Ireland’s international development cooperation is focused on reaching the furthest behind first. In a global context of shrinking aid budgets, Ireland continues to invest in, and advocate for, communities and countries affected by conflict and fragility. This includes both responding to immediate humanitarian needs and addressing the causes of conflict and fragility.

Fragility on its frontiers is a destabilising threat to the peace, prosperity and social cohesion of Europe, so it is in our interests to invest in approaches that build resilience.