Chairman:

I thank Ms Keatinge and Mr. Clarken for their very comprehensive contributions. Both outlined the very desperate position affecting so many millions of innocent people throughout the world. Mr. Clarken spoke about people who have lost everything. There are major challenges and there is a need for an adequate global response, which has, unfortunately, not been forthcoming to date. Time is not on the side of anybody. International solidarity is needed, as is momentum. We need the international community not just to make pledges, but to live up to the commitments which are spoken about and will be given at high-level summits. Those of us who have been in public life for some time will be familiar with the work of H.E. David Donoghue, the Irish ambassador to the UN, in Northern Ireland, going back to my early days in politics. He is an extremely good public servant and someone of whom we can be proud. It is good to know he is a co-facilitator on this.

Mr. Clarken said that politicians worldwide have been stoking fears. For the record of this meeting, I want to qualify that. It would be unfair to generalise in regard to such an important and sensitive subject and to say that politicians worldwide have been doing this. Individuals have, but the body of public representatives would not be put into that category. I just wanted to clarify that for the record and for the transcript of this meeting.