President Catherine Connolly has warned that "the consequences of a 'might is right' mentality are now "crystal clear before our eyes" amid a period where "countries can be invaded at will, or threatened with invasion".
President Connolly outlined her concerns during a welcome reception for ambassadors and diplomats to Ireland at Aras an Uachtaráin.
However, moments before she was due to deliver the speech at the event, an official told dignitaries the speech would be handed out instead as President Connolly had to leave for "family reasons".
RTÉ News understands this is because at the conclusion of meeting more than 50 ambassadors at a formal reception alongside President Connolly, her husband Brian McEnery "felt unwell" and lightheaded, at which point it was decided to circulate the speech.
Today's New Years reception for diplomats used to be an annual event but had not been held since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has now been reinstated by President Connolly.
Among attendees were US ambassador Edward Walsh, British ambassador Kara Owen, Danish ambassador Lars Thuessen, Ukrainian ambassador Larysa Gerasko and the Palestinian State ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Abdalmajid.
"When this becomes the logic of international relations, language no longer protects the vulnerable, it simply records their fate"
In her circulated speech, President Connolly repeatedly referenced the importance of the United Nations and her concerns over the growing number of conflicts around the world.
While not specifically referencing the Greenland-US tariffs threats crisis, she said: "The consequences of 'might is right' are now crystal clear before our eyes. Countries can be invaded at will, or threatened with invasion, and the UN organisations doing invaluable work in extremely dangerous locations can be demolished on a whim."
"When this becomes the logic of international relations, language no longer protects the vulnerable, it simply records their fate."
President Connolly also said that "now more than ever in this time of global uncertainty and tension characterised by conflict, humanitarian and human crises, and ever-accelerating technological change, we look to you [the ambassadors] as our friends and partners to deepen our engagement, to collaborate and co-operate to meet the challenges of our time".
President Connolly said the UN charter "is clear in its purpose and intent, expressing a determination to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war".
However, she continued that "notwithstanding the charter, there is more conflict now than at any time since World War Two in places as disparate as Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, as well as less publicised conflicts in the Sahel, Myanmar and the Great Lakes regions of Africa".
"All of which leads to a most fundamental question, how have we departed from, even abandoned this agreed language of peace and moved to a language in which war has become normalised and peace undermined?"
The President's speech continued: "We witness an appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza where there is not enough food, adequate shelter, or sufficient healthcare access. Israel's highly restrictive controls continue to obstruct an effective humanitarian response.
"We must end the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza through the rapid, safe and unhindered delivery of principled humanitarian aid. We must chart a political path forward that can lead to two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace."
