Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s State visits to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, her visit to Rwanda, and the refugee camps near Goma, and in Tanzania, her briefing of the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary[-General] Gharekhan, and her correspondence with heads of member states of the UN seeking "their assistance in having the U.N. address more urgently the need to bring to justice those who instigated and led the genocidal killings in Rwanda". It includes a photocopy of faxed security report on MR's proposed visit to Kigali [Rwanda] and Goma [Democratic Republic of Congo], Ronan Murphy, Assistant Secretary, Development Cooperation Division, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), 10/10/1994; typed key notes taken during meeting between MR and President Mwinyi, [United Republic of Tanzania] 11/10/1994; handwritten notes (extracts relating to Rwanda) of meeting between MR and Prime Minister Malecela, [Tanzania] 12/10/1994; typed memo re meeting between MR and representatives of various NGOs held under the auspices of UNHCR [UN Refugee Agency in Rwanda], Kigali, Rwanda, 13/10/1994; typed report/minutes of call on MR by Vice-President and Minister for Defence of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, in Mille Collines Hotel, Kigali, 13/10/1994; typed report/minutes of briefing of MR by Ambassador Khan and Major General Tousignant, in UNAMIR [United Nations Assistance Mission For Rwanda] Headquarters, Kigali, 13/10/1994; typed report/minutes of call of MR with President Bizimungu in President's Residence, Kigali, 13/10/1994; letter from Brian McCarthy, Assistant Secretary to the Government, to Peter Ryan, Secretary to the President, enclosing reports prepared by the DFA on MR's visit to Rwanda and Goma, 20/10/1994; typed CV for UN Under-Secretary-General Gharekhan; photocopy of fax from Irish Permanent Mission For UN (PMUN) to Bride Rosney with "Cover letter & Extract from interim report of the Commission of Experts re HR Abuses in Rwanda Just Recd", 21/10/1994; draft letter from MR to member states with cover letter from Peter Ryan to Frank Murray, Secretary to the Government and revised draft 07-10/11/1994; cards in appreciation of MR's historic visit from APSO Central Africa Field Office, and ARTCF, Kigali, 13/10/1994 04/10/1994; information pack with background information on Rwanda, on neighbouring countries concerned with Rwandan refugees, and on CONCERN's involvement, with cover letter from Aengus Finucane, Chief Executive, CONCERN, 23/09/1994; letter from James P Grant, Executive Director, UNICEF, in relation to her proposed visit to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Rwanda, 22/09/1994, and UNICEF emergency update on Rwanda 01/09/199 ;and fax from PMUN New York with latest situation reports ahead of MR's visit, 29/09/1994.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/4/12

Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Davos, Switzerland, 28-29/01/1995 including official information handbook containing details of programme and telephone numbers and larger bound information book with details of programme, more extensive contact names of attendees, note from Joe Brennan in relation to luncheon hosted by German President Herzog of several VIPS (MR, President Kuchma (Ukraine), President Menem (Argentina), President Karimov (Uzbekistan), President Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan), Prime Minister Dehaene (Belgium), Prime Minister Vaclav (Czech Republic), Prime Minister Goh (Singapore), President Santer (Commission of European Communities) and State Secretary Kaltenberger (Switzerland)), CVs and correspondence including cover letter from WEF on The Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders taking place annually every January. Also includes ringbound briefing book with political notes on Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Uganda and CVs for some of the presidents and prime ministers of these countries.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/1

Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s State visit to Japan, 19-28/02/1995, including official information handbook with details of delegation, programme and programmes (2 copies), official information handbook with details of car plan, telephone numbers and room allocations, menu for dinner in honour of Robinsons, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, 22/02/1995, bag tags for several hotels, correspondence between Carol Baxter, Protocol Division, Department of Foreign Affairs, Nick Robinson, and Mairead McAnallen, Crafts Council of Ireland in relation to gifts to be given in Japan (12/01-02/02/1995), memo from Bride Rosney (BR), Special Adviser to the President, to Peter Ryan, Secretary to the President, relating to final details and points from MR ahead of trip to Japan, with note from BR to Nick Robinson re his request that a separate distinct programme was not required except for afternoon shopping opportunities in Tokyo, Matsue and Osaka, 15/01/1995.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/3

Material relating to President Mary Robinson (MR)'s visit to Argentina, Chile and Brazil, 19/03-02/04/1995, the first ever State visits by an Irish President to Latin America which to those participating on the ground was deemed a success but which was initially perceived in Irish media as a failure. Includes report from ND [Noel Dorr, Secretary Department of Foreign Affairs] refuting claims made in Irish media and noting "I had a minor disadvantage of being with the President as part of her delegation and seeing what actually happened rather than being at home to read what the Irish news media - in effect Conor O'Clery of The Irish Times and Eileen Whelan on RTE - felt they ought to report about it", 03/04/1995; copy of typed report prepared by Brian McCarthy [Assistant Secretary to the Government] "President's State Visits to Argentina, Chile and Brazil, 19 March - 2 April 1995", 05/04/1995; report by Noel Dorr of meeting he had with Director General of Chilean Foreign Ministry, sent to MR on 07/04/1995; draft reports on "Meeting between President Robinson and President Menem - 20 March 1995", with notations and correspondence between Peter Ryan and Irish Ambassador to Argentina, Bernard Davenport, 06-10/04/1995; draft report on "meeting with President Cardoso - 29 March 1995", with notations, 12/04/1995; typed copy of address to MR from "probably one of the longest serving Irish missionaries here in Brazil"; typed letter "Viewpoint for Peter M from John Horgan", refuting and critiquing article by Mary Ellen Synon in Sunday Tribune, [04?]/1995.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/5/4

Material relating to visits by Mary Robinson abroad in 1996, including to Republic of South Africa (P143/4/5/3/6/1), United States of America including State visit (P143/4/5/3/6/2,3), Federal Republic of Germany (P143/4/5/3/6/3) and United Kingdom (P143/4/5/3/6/5-7).

[Archivist’s Note: President Robinson became the first Irish President to make an official State visit to the United States of America while in office, following a public invite from President Bill Clinton, during one of his own visits to Ireland.

President Seán T. O'Kelly was invited to the United States of America by President Eisenhower in 1959 and addressed the Joint Meeting of Congress, 18/03/1959. President de Valera attended President John F. Kennedy's funeral in 1963, and made an official visit in 1964 during which he also addressed Congress. President Robinson herself met President Clinton on a private visit in 1993, as did her successor President McAleese in 1998.

State visits to the United States are formal visits by the head of state from one country to the United States, during which the president of the United States acts as official host of the visitor. State visits are considered to be the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between the United States and a foreign state and are, in general, characterised by an emphasis on official public ceremonies. State visits can only occur on the invitation of the president of the United States, acting in his capacity as head of the United States. (Official visits, in contrast, can also only occur on the invitation of the president of the United States, though are offered in the president's capacity as chief of the federal government of the United States.)]

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6

Official information handbook for President Mary Robinson's visit to Boston and New York, United States of America, 05-09/10/1996, detailing delegation, programme, protocols, contact numbers and room allocations.

Ref: P143/4/5/3/6/4

Material relating to Mary Robinson (MR)'s campaign to be elected as President of Ireland including press statement from Dick Spring, Leader of the Labour Party, announcing he had been given permission to formally invite MR to accept a nomination to contest the Presidential Election (04/04/1990), copy of MR's CV, meeting minutes and other documents relating to the Media Committee, documents relating to strategy including from Eoghan Harris; note from Fergus [Finlay] to MR on proposed campaign structure, with sample list of names, technical note on how a president is elected and note from Ray Kavanagh, General Secretary on candidate exposure, 08-11/05/1990 notes for the campaign submitted by Nick Robinson, Bride Rosney and Peter MacMenamin, and from Catherine Donnelly [PR firm], 06/06/1990; draft letter from Dick Spring, Chairperson Council of Public Representatives in support of MR's Campaign for Presidency to potential members, 10/07/1990; letter from Eoghan Harris to MR and NR about the "gang of four" "blackmailing" Robinsons to remove him from campaign committee, 17/09/1990; breakdowns of constituencies and contact details for local Oireachtas members and directors of elections in each, recommended security guidelines relating to security of MR's home and campaign office on Merrion square during presidential campaign, 18/09/1990, printing costs and location sites for campaign posters, specimen ballot papers, and correspondence between Mary Robinson and various Presidents and Directors of Higher Education institutions, requesting that students who need to return home to vote, would not be penalised either in terms of their academic record, or their eligibility to receive grant funding (22-31/10/1990); document "A President worth campaigning for", by Dick Spring, TD, Labour Party Leader, [04/1990?]; list of potential slogans for the campaign.

Ref: P143/4/1/1/1

Folder labelled: "Correspondence - offers of assistance" consisting mainly of correspondence relating to Mary Robinson (MR) running for Labour nomination and subsequently running for presidential campaign. Includes letter of support from Paul Durcan 05-10/04/1990 and 21/08/1990, letter from Sylvia ? making reference to Sarah in Galway who rang and reference Michael D Higgins [04?]/1990, card of support from Joan Burton 04/1990, list of offers with contact addresses and phone numbers, sample letter which was sent by MR to all members of the Labour Party, June 1990, sample letter sent to all volunteers with form on their availability, 13/08/1990.

Ref: P143/4/1/1/5

Material relating to the campaign tour including itineraries, maps with notation on electoral districts and numbers of electors, lists of engagements including media interviews, and contact information for local campaign contacts. Also includes list of invitees for 7th September 1990.

Ref: P143/4/1/1/6

Material including correspondence, statements and addresses, lists of contact details, and itineraries relating to specific stops on the presidential campaign trail. These include visits to Wexford, 02/08/1990, Aran Islands 29/08/1990, Inishbofin County (Co.) Galway, 30/08/1990, Spiddal, Co. Galway, 16/10/1990 and North Dublin 31/08/1990.

Ref: P143/4/1/1/10