Ireland
IRELAND
Statement by
Mr. Andrew Doyle, T.D.
Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture
at the
High Level Political Forum
New York, 19 July 2017
Check against delivery
PERMANENT MISSION OF IRELAND TO THE UNITED NATIONS
885 SECOND AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017 TELEPHONE 212 421-6934 FAX 212 752-4726
newyorkpmun@dfa.ie
Thank you Mr/Madam President
The 2030 Agenda not only calls for us to leave no one behind, but to reach the furthest behind first.
In a world that is facing unprecedented challenges from humanitarian emergencies, violent conflicts,
conflict-related migration flows, as well as climate-related crises and famines, we hear this call loud
and clear.
And despite progress in some areas, extreme poverty continues to deepen and broaden in countries
affected by fragility and conflict. Heeding that call, we must address all of these challenges to reach
those left furthest behind first.
Mr. President,
Ireland is proud to have played a significant part in the 2030 Agenda negotiations, through our role as
co-facilitator. We recognised then and recognise now the interwoven challenges before us and the
need for a holistic response by all stakeholders to meet those challenges.
The 2030 Agenda is an agenda for all, and in this spirit the Irish Government has adopted a 'whole-ofgovernment'
approach, with overall direction being provided by a Cabinet Committee which will be
chaired by the Taoiseach - our Prime Minister.
The 2030 Agenda is a universal one and, in that spirit, our approach is aimed both at addressing issues
at home and at supporting regional and global solutions abroad. To achieve the former, my colleague,
the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, has been tasked with promoting
the SDGs, and ensuring their joined up implementation across Government.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will support the efforts of developing country partners to
achieve the SDGs. Ireland will continue to provide leadership in implementing the SDGs through the
support we give to least developed countries through Irish Aid, our development cooperation
programme.
The structure we have adopted provides for a strong 'centre-of-government' role in implementation,
while allowing individual Government departments to take ownership of those Goals most relevant
to them. It will ensure that Ireland's national and global SDG policies are coherent and mutually
supporting, and that civil society plays a key role in the implementation and monitoring of the Goals
in Ireland.
Beyond our shores, Ireland's international development policy and programme are well placed to
play a significant role in achieving the 2030 Agenda. We are using the Sustainable Development
Goals as an overarching framework for guiding and monitoring our development assistance. Ireland
will continue to focus on the underlying causes of poverty and insecurity, within EU discussions, and
through our work with partner governments as well as through close engagement with the UN and
other multilateral institutions.
Mr. President,
The SDGs will not be met if the poorest and most marginalised people continue to be left behind while
progress is made elsewhere and for others. For us, leaving no one behind means combating climate
change and ending poverty together. These two issues poverty are inextricably linked, and are integral
to sustainable development.
The detrimental effects of climate change are felt most acutely in fragile contexts and by those most
marginalised and vulnerable in society, in particular women. Women constitute the majority of the
world's poor and are more dependent for their livelihood on natural resources. Climate change is
undermining the well-being of many families and their ability to cope. Its impacts are far-reaching as
it affects agriculture and food security, biodiversity and ecosystems, water resources, human health,
human settlements and migration patterns. As challenges for poor communities intensify, Ireland will
continue to focus in particular on action to help such communities to adapt and in the longer term to
end extreme poverty, hunger and under-nutrition by 2030.
SDG 17 calls on us all to strengthen the means of implementation and to work in partnership. A critical
area for enhanced partnership is that of data, where all countries face challenges to one degree or
another as they seek to assemble and analyse the high-quality data that must underpin our policy
decisions. I am pleased that Ireland is participating in the UN Statistical Division's pilot project to
develop national SDG Data Hubs. This work will further Ireland's own SDG implementation and
reporting, and in a spirit of partnership we look forward to other countries being able to draw on our
experience.
Furthermore, to support statistical capacity building in Small Island Developing States, Ireland will be
giving $1 million of multi-year funding to the World Bank's Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building
and to the G.E.F. Trust Fund for the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency.
Mr President,
Ireland is now focused on preparing of our first National Voluntary Review for presentation at next
year's session. Those countries which have presented this year, and last year, have set us a high bar in
terms of the quality and rigour of their presentations, and we are determined to match their example.
We believe we can highlight useful examples of national progress, but will be equally frank about the
challenges we face, for example in relation to the transition to sustainable consumption and
production. We are eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to make a detailed presentation of our
experience next year.
Thank you.
-Ends
Statement by
Mr. Andrew Doyle, T.D.
Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture
at the
High Level Political Forum
New York, 19 July 2017
Check against delivery
PERMANENT MISSION OF IRELAND TO THE UNITED NATIONS
885 SECOND AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017 TELEPHONE 212 421-6934 FAX 212 752-4726
newyorkpmun@dfa.ie
Thank you Mr/Madam President
The 2030 Agenda not only calls for us to leave no one behind, but to reach the furthest behind first.
In a world that is facing unprecedented challenges from humanitarian emergencies, violent conflicts,
conflict-related migration flows, as well as climate-related crises and famines, we hear this call loud
and clear.
And despite progress in some areas, extreme poverty continues to deepen and broaden in countries
affected by fragility and conflict. Heeding that call, we must address all of these challenges to reach
those left furthest behind first.
Mr. President,
Ireland is proud to have played a significant part in the 2030 Agenda negotiations, through our role as
co-facilitator. We recognised then and recognise now the interwoven challenges before us and the
need for a holistic response by all stakeholders to meet those challenges.
The 2030 Agenda is an agenda for all, and in this spirit the Irish Government has adopted a 'whole-ofgovernment'
approach, with overall direction being provided by a Cabinet Committee which will be
chaired by the Taoiseach - our Prime Minister.
The 2030 Agenda is a universal one and, in that spirit, our approach is aimed both at addressing issues
at home and at supporting regional and global solutions abroad. To achieve the former, my colleague,
the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, has been tasked with promoting
the SDGs, and ensuring their joined up implementation across Government.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will support the efforts of developing country partners to
achieve the SDGs. Ireland will continue to provide leadership in implementing the SDGs through the
support we give to least developed countries through Irish Aid, our development cooperation
programme.
The structure we have adopted provides for a strong 'centre-of-government' role in implementation,
while allowing individual Government departments to take ownership of those Goals most relevant
to them. It will ensure that Ireland's national and global SDG policies are coherent and mutually
supporting, and that civil society plays a key role in the implementation and monitoring of the Goals
in Ireland.
Beyond our shores, Ireland's international development policy and programme are well placed to
play a significant role in achieving the 2030 Agenda. We are using the Sustainable Development
Goals as an overarching framework for guiding and monitoring our development assistance. Ireland
will continue to focus on the underlying causes of poverty and insecurity, within EU discussions, and
through our work with partner governments as well as through close engagement with the UN and
other multilateral institutions.
Mr. President,
The SDGs will not be met if the poorest and most marginalised people continue to be left behind while
progress is made elsewhere and for others. For us, leaving no one behind means combating climate
change and ending poverty together. These two issues poverty are inextricably linked, and are integral
to sustainable development.
The detrimental effects of climate change are felt most acutely in fragile contexts and by those most
marginalised and vulnerable in society, in particular women. Women constitute the majority of the
world's poor and are more dependent for their livelihood on natural resources. Climate change is
undermining the well-being of many families and their ability to cope. Its impacts are far-reaching as
it affects agriculture and food security, biodiversity and ecosystems, water resources, human health,
human settlements and migration patterns. As challenges for poor communities intensify, Ireland will
continue to focus in particular on action to help such communities to adapt and in the longer term to
end extreme poverty, hunger and under-nutrition by 2030.
SDG 17 calls on us all to strengthen the means of implementation and to work in partnership. A critical
area for enhanced partnership is that of data, where all countries face challenges to one degree or
another as they seek to assemble and analyse the high-quality data that must underpin our policy
decisions. I am pleased that Ireland is participating in the UN Statistical Division's pilot project to
develop national SDG Data Hubs. This work will further Ireland's own SDG implementation and
reporting, and in a spirit of partnership we look forward to other countries being able to draw on our
experience.
Furthermore, to support statistical capacity building in Small Island Developing States, Ireland will be
giving $1 million of multi-year funding to the World Bank's Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building
and to the G.E.F. Trust Fund for the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency.
Mr President,
Ireland is now focused on preparing of our first National Voluntary Review for presentation at next
year's session. Those countries which have presented this year, and last year, have set us a high bar in
terms of the quality and rigour of their presentations, and we are determined to match their example.
We believe we can highlight useful examples of national progress, but will be equally frank about the
challenges we face, for example in relation to the transition to sustainable consumption and
production. We are eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to make a detailed presentation of our
experience next year.
Thank you.
-Ends
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