Minister delivers Ireland’s National Statement at the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien has set out Ireland’s commitment to sustainable development at the United Nations ‘High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development’ in New York today (Monday).
Minister O’Brien explained:
At the HLPF this year Ireland – along with The Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the International Renewable Agency (IRENA), and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) – is leading and co-hosting an official Side Event. The Side Event is titled ‘Accelerating SDG 7: Building Bridges for the Clean Energy Transition: How Governments, Institutions and Civil Society can Partner to Decarbonise Island Nations, from Europe to the Pacific’.
During his time at the HLPF, Minister O’Brien is also attending a number of special events. These include a High-Level Plenary on Critical Energy Transitions and a Special Event on Financing Resilient Agrifood Systems in the context of the current crisis.
Minister O’Brien will also attend several bilateral meetings, with representatives from Albania, Canada, Japan, the Marshall Islands, Saudia Arabia and Tuvalu. He will also meet representatives of academia and civil society, as well as youth representatives. Minister O’Brien will also meet with UN Assistant Secretary General Selwin Hart, as preparations are underway in advance of COP31 which takes place in Antalya, Turkey in November 2026.
National Statement
The National Statement – delivered by Minister O’Brien – can be viewed on the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment website:https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/speeches/national-statement-by-minister-darragh-obrien-at-the-un-high-level-political-forum-2026/
ENDS
Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In September 2015, all 193 UN Member States, including Ireland, adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ‘end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all’ as part of the new agenda: Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This framework is made up of 17 SDGs and 169 targets. Ireland had a significant role in its development and adoption, as co-facilitator, together with Kenya.
United Nations High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF)
Agenda 2030 recognises the importance of follow-up and review at the national, regional, and global level to measure implementation progress of the SDGs. The UN High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the main United Nations platform for sustainable development and Agenda 2030 and has the central role in overseeing follow-up and review at global level.
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) convened from Tuesday, 7 July, to Wednesday, 15 July 2026, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This includes the three-day ministerial segment of the forum from Monday, 13 July, to Wednesday, 15 July 2026, as part of the High-level Segment of ECOSOC. The theme of the HLPF 2026 is “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all”.
Find out more on the United Nations website.
