The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, has been appointed one of four special envoys for United Nations reform by the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
The four will act as Mr Annan's 'eyes and ears' around the world, presenting proposals for reform in the run-up to a special UN summit in September.
Mr Ahern will act as envoy to European countries, on top of his other duties as minister.
The reforms will include changes to the structure of the Security Council, as well as new initiatives on what is called 'peace building' in regions where there have been armed conflicts.
The appointment is a major diplomatic undertaking for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and will also put Ireland in the forefront of the reform process currently underway in the UN.
The other envoys are former Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas, former President of Mozambique Joaquin Chissano, and former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo.
Mr Ahern said the appointment was a great honour for Ireland and for him, and said he would be proud to act as an advocate of the Secretary General's proposals for reform.
The minister will meet the UN Secretary General in New York tomorrow and will be formally presented to the General Assembly on Wednesday.
