His Excellency Sean O Regan the Ambassador of Ireland to Egypt shared some of his Nation’s policies and goals towards climate action with a distinguished group of delegates at the “Global Trade Matters International Dialogue on Climate Neutrality” on Monday the 25th of November 2019. The international gathering held in Cairo and attended by 200 thought leaders from Egypt and around the world was organized by the Cairo based Think Tank, Global Trade Matters.  
 
Speaking at the Keynote session alongside the Ambassadors of Denmark, Singapore, New Zealand and Brazil, Ambassador O Regan touched upon some of the most pressing challenges facing Ireland, the EU and the rest of the world as a result of climate change.
 
His Excellency also highlighted Ireland’s global commitment through its international Development Policy “A Better World” which is considered a real step-change in how the Government of Ireland approaches international development.
 
Ireland has built a distinguished track record of responding to global development challenges like poverty, hunger and insecurity. Today, Ireland’s Official Development Assistance program is widely regarded as one of the highest quality development in the world. Through their support for international development, Irish citizens have been instrumental in helping some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world to find new hope, and to build better lives for themselves and their families.
 
The Irish Government has been committed to supporting and strengthening the multilateral system, through their support for international accords such as the Paris Agreement, the Global Compact on Migration and the Sustainable Development Goals where Ireland played a unique and central role in the process to agree.
 
“Ireland’s approach to international development resonates with our own history and experiences. It is both in our DNA, and in our national interest, to contribute to the building of a better world.” said Ambassador O Regan as he addressed the attendance at the Global Trade Matters Climate Neutrality Dialogue last week in Cairo.
 
In response to an ever changing world, Ireland has been adapting and evolving its foreign policy including their development cooperation to ensure the needs of those that have been left furthest behind – and people who are at risk of becoming ever more marginalized – remain at the center of their approach.