Taoiseach to use New York summit address to urge progress on development goals

By Staff reporter
Published 18th Sep 2023, 00:01 GMT
Updated 18th Sep 2023, 00:05 GMT
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World leaders need to make up for lost time and strive to meet 2030 targets for sustainable development, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar will address a summit in New York on Monday on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The goals cover 17 interlinked areas for action agreed by world leaders in 2015.

They are designed to increase global prosperity, tackle inequalities and protect the environment.

Ahead of his visit to the US, Mr Varadkar said countries needed to redouble efforts to achieve the 2030 goals, with progress currently behind schedule.placeholder image
Ahead of his visit to the US, Mr Varadkar said countries needed to redouble efforts to achieve the 2030 goals, with progress currently behind schedule.

“My visit to the United Nations comes at a time of critical challenge for the world,” he said.

“Ireland has been centrally involved in developing and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals which were adopted in 2015.

“Progress towards achieving them has been set back by the pandemic, the consequences of conflict, including in Ukraine, and by the increasing pace and ferocity of extreme weather events.

“I will be urging leaders to make maximum use of the time ahead to make up this lost ground, and to really focus on ensuring we reach the targets we have set ourselves by 2030.

“The world’s most vulnerable people in particular, are depending on us.”

Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Environment Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan are also attending the UN in New York.