Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

The Taoiseach has said that the United Nations' role and responsibility are clear following any future agreement. Is it not the case that individual EU countries are effectively trading off different levels of crisis against each other? These include the food, energy, environmental and climate change crises. My question is positive towards the outcomes that will happen in Mexico. If, for example, technology transfer is to be left to individual countries' arrangements with countries receiving development aid, one will not be able to monitor the issue of additionality. In addition, the technology transfer will not be of sufficient volume to enable individual developing countries to participate in the agreement in Mexico. Does the question mark over some scientific activities - not the work, but the publications - mean that the United Nations has moved back from taking the lead role? I refer to the UN taking responsibility for technology transfer as a global achievement, and for changing the role of its institutions such as the UN Development Programme. Will this be done in such a way that, effectively, the issues of additionality, accepting differences, survival and the balance between the different crises-----

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