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Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Michael D. Higgins, will today address the UN Summit of the Future at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Invited to address the UN Summit of the Future by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who has convened the Summit during the High-Level Week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, President Higgins will speak of a form of the United Nations which can represent the people of the world in the interacting crises which we face and be responsive.

The Summit will seek to reaffirm the international commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Charter while enhancing cooperation and laying the foundations for a reinvigorated multilateral system.

For all those attending the UN Summit, the level of achievement of the SDGs is a matter of concern. Nine years after the agreement of the SDGs in 2015, the latest report on implementation has found that just 17% of the goals are on track with over a third ‘stalled or regressing’. Against this background, malnourishment and food insecurity continues to grow, with many countries’ ability to tackle the challenges they face severely impacted by the issue of debt.

In his address, President Higgins will build on a number of his recent speeches on the subject of food security for Africa, including that which he delivered when receiving the Agricola Medal of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Dublin in June, and call for a renewed commitment to the delivery of the SDGs and to the agreements which have been made on climate change.

The President will outline how a new, inclusive globalisation from below can enhance democracy, improve participation and give the leadership which is needed to achieve a new invigorated United Nations.

Accompanied by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, the President will further join fellow Heads of State and Heads of Government in attending the first day of the annual high-level General Debate on Tuesday. While at the United Nations, President Higgins will engage in a number of bilateral meetings with fellow Heads of State and senior politicians.

In addition to his engagements at the United Nations, President Higgins will be presented with the Eugene O’Neill International Public Service Award by the Irish American Writers & Artists Association at an event in the Irish Arts Center in New York on Monday, and will use the occasion as an opportunity for meeting with members of the Irish community in New York.