Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has added his voice to a New Year's Day call by Pope Benedict for people to work for world peace.
Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily in St Peter's Basilica during Mass this morning, described peace as a "gift to invoke with prayer, a task to carry out with courage, without ever tiring". Peace can only be achieved if individuals' human rights are respected, Pope Benedict said, stressing that there can be no excuse for treating people as "objects".
He called for a lasting end to the Holy Land's conflict, which he said has dragged on for too long.
"How can one not turn one's glance yet again to the dramatic situation which characterises the very land where Jesus was born?" the pontiff said.
Pope Benedict XVI
"How can one not implore with insistent prayer, that also in that region the day of peace arrives as soon as possible, the day in which the conflict which has been going on for too much time is definitely resolved?" Benedict asked in his homily.
"A peace accord, to be lasting, must be based on respect for the dignity and rights of every person," the pontiff added.
The pontiff said injustice and violence threatened peace and that "the danger of terrorism" disturbs "the serenity of peoples". The Vatican celebrates World Peace Day on January 1 stevery year.
In a statement, Mr Ahern said Ireland fully supported the pope's message of placing human dignity at the centre of the world's concerns today. "Throughout our history Ireland had demonstrated by word and deed our commitment to peace and the due dignity of the individual," he said.
Mr Ahern noted that our experience of Northern Ireland's peace process has shown that "a just and lasting peace is built over time, sometimes slowly, but always with patience and determination". The Taoiseach said he was "hopeful" that the process was nearing completion.
He also reiterated the Government's support for the pope's efforts to safeguard human rights. "This is a cornerstone of our own approach to international policy and our aid programme," he said. "Without human rights there can be no dignity for the individual, no justice for society, no peace within and between States."
He pinpointed the "evil" situation in Darfur as an example of an "appalling" human rights situation.
"I fully support the European Union's call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and I remind all parties of their obligations in respect human rights; international humanitarian law; existing ceasefire accords and the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
Mr Ahern said Ireland would also continue to encourage efforts to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East, saying a credible plan for a comprehensive settlement of the interlinked problems of the region based on a negotiated two-State solution was required
The Taoiseach pledged Ireland's continuing support for UN peacekeeping missions. He said the contribution of members of the Defence Forces and Garda Síochána to missions in Kosovo, Liberia, Lebanon and Western Sahara was "one of which our nation can be rightly proud".
He also said he shared Pope Benedict's concerns about international terrorism. "As we know from our own experience on the island of Ireland, no cause can ever justify terrorism and there are no circumstances in which it can be tolerated."
Finally, the Taoiseach warned that the greatest threat to mankind remained the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
"It is disturbing that some new States seem to be on course to acquire nuclear weapons," he said. "This is a regressive development and moves us further from the ideal of non-proliferation which we all hoped was possible with the end of the Cold War."