On Wednesday 24 January, at 11 a.m., President Higgins gave his traditional New Year’s address to members of the diplomatic corps.
The President hosted a reception for the Ambassadors and consular representatives of some 60 countries that have diplomatic relations with Ireland, and give a speech reflecting on the importance of international diplomacy and respect for human rights.
In his speech, the President reflected on the centenary of the end of the “great failure of diplomacy” that was World War I, warning that at present, again, the value of diplomacy is being called into question.
The President called on the diplomatic corps to imagine new ways of dealing with global problems, based on human rights, citizen participation and the building of friendships between peoples, balancing the pursuit of national interests with an ethical awareness of our shared humanity on a fragile planet.
