Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also join in welcoming President Stefanchuk. We met in Strasbourg, I think, last year and in other locations. I salute his commitment and the extraordinary diplomatic work he and his colleagues have been undertaking. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has been everywhere lobbying and advocating for the Ukrainian people against what is a terrible, immoral and illegal war and invasion.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 13 and 32 together. I travelled to New York from 16 to 20 September for a series of meetings as part of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, high-level week, which included the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, summit. UNGA high-level week, which takes place in September every year, is an opportunity to highlight our foreign policy priorities and engage directly with the UN system and partners on issues of mutual concern.

It is vital that we address climate change, global health challenges, food security and financing for sustainable development collectively. It is also essential that we commit as an international community to get the SDGs back on track, as well as to address global peace and security issues, including Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, and defend the UN charter. Ireland was active on all these issues during UNGA high-level week. Ireland played a leadership role at the SDG summit as a co-facilitator, along with Qatar, to negotiate the political declaration adopted by the summit. Being asked to take on this role demonstrates the respect and trust placed in Ireland by the UN leadership and the 193 UN member states.

In addition to attending the opening of the SDG summit and the general debate, I delivered Ireland’s national statement to the high-level dialogue on financing for development. I addressed the high-level session on food systems transformation at the SDG mobilisation day on 17 September. I delivered keynote remarks at two events co-hosted by Ireland: an event on global solidarity with Afghan women, which was co-hosted by the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, along with Ireland, Canada and Indonesia; and the women, peace and leadership symposium co-hosted by the International Peace Institute, IPI, and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. At the global solidarity event, we heard directly from several Afghan women, both inside and outside the country, and listened to their perspectives on how the international community can continue to support the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, including the right to education.

I also participated in an EU foreign ministers' meeting, in the International Peace Institute’s annual ministerial working dinner on the Middle East and at a ministerial event on the Middle East peace process to launch the Peace Day initiative. I signed a landmark international agreement on global ocean conservation on behalf of the Government, the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, BBNJ, the first global treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of the high seas. I also launched a new publication in New York, On an Equal Footing With All: Ireland at the League of Nations 1923-1946,which was developed in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy, the National Archives, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of the Government’s decade of centenaries programme.

I also had an extensive programme of bilateral meetings and engagements with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, and the foreign ministers of Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Lebanon, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, as well as with the President of the General Assembly, the director general and executive director of the World Health Organization, WHO, Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, and former President Mary Robinson and her fellow members of the Africa Europe Foundation's women leaders network.

Along with the Taoiseach, I had the opportunity to briefly meet President Biden at a reception he hosted with Dr. Jill Biden, and I spoke to several members of the US Administration at that event, including in relation to Northern Ireland. As part of a programme organised by the Consulate General in New York, I also attended an Irish community reception and briefed a number of Irish-American leaders on the situation in Northern Ireland.

Ireland was also represented at many other events during the high-level week by the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, as well as the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The Taoiseach addressed the opening ceremony of the SDG summit on 18 September and delivered Ireland’s national statement during the general debate on 22 September.

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