Ireland invited to join G20 group of nations meetings for first time
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Ireland is to join the powerful G20 group after being invited by South Africa.
This is the first time this country has been asked to join the gathering of the world's largest economies, with Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin due to seek Cabinet approval to accept an invitation to participate as a guest country during South Africa’s G20 presidency, which runs from December 2024 to November 2025.
Ireland will appoint two officials as a sherpa and deputy sherpa for the duration of the G20 and Department of Foreign Affairs officials will meet relevant departments next week to identify the work programme Ireland will prioritise during the term.
A spokesperson stressed it would provide Ireland with an important opportunity to influence approaches on issues of global strategic importance.
The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, the EU, and the African Union.
It comes as Cabinet is also expected to formally agree to intervene in two cases currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including the high-profile genocide case being brought by South Africa against Israel.
The case was initiated following the launch of Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has since killed more than 40,000 people.
Mr Martin is proposing to intervene to promote a consistent interpretation of the Genocide Convention which prioritises the protection of civilian life, and to demonstrate Ireland’s strong commitment to the rule of law and international justice.
He said the intervention would be based on "detailed and rigorous legal analysis".
"In formulating this declaration, Ireland will set out a robust basis for its intervention before the court. It is then a matter for the court to rule on its admissibility," Mr Martin told the Dáil before it was dissolved last month.
"Subject to the court’s ruling, Ireland will then make substantive submissions to the court on the proper interpretation of the Genocide Convention," he said.
South Africa instituted proceedings at the ICJ at the end of December 2023, claiming Israel had violated its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
South Africa also asked the Court to order provisional measures to apply pending its final judgment.
In three separate orders, the court ordered Israel to take steps to ensure its military did not commit genocidal acts, to limit the scope of its military operations in Gaza and to facilitate humanitarian aid.
However, in November, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed serious concern Israel was failing in these obligations.
Since South Africa initiated its case, Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, Turkey, Chile, the Maldives and Bolivia have filed ‘Declarations of Intervention’.
Ministers are also expected to sign off on intervening in a second similar case of The Gambia versus Myanmar.
Ireland will intervene in The Gambia’s case at the ICJ under the 1948 Genocide Convention over operations by Myanmar’s armed forces against the ethnic minority Rohingya people.
More than 10,000 Rohingya people are reported to have been killed in these operations and about 700,000 forced to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.