 Well, what I would like to do in this particular address is to look at the situation in relation to development on the domestic side, on the European side, and on the global side. And as Nora said, any questions that you wish to get clarified or wish afterwards, I'd be more than delighted to answer. So it is a great pleasure to be here. This is where I started my working life across the road in a school, not quite Georgia Street. So I have good memories of being in the street long before David and Nora's ever knew it existed. So it's good to be here in the Institute of International and European Affairs and to discuss the current issues, international development, and the recent Irish presidency and to look to the future. So I'm particularly pleased to do so in the context of the series of lectures on development issues, which my department supports in close cooperation with the Institute. It's important that international development should be seen as central to the international relations agenda. In fact, I believe it should be at the heart. The insights and the experience provided by the distinguished speakers in this series will help to ensure that this does remain the case in Ireland. The purpose of my talk today is to review the significant events on the development front over the past half of this year at Irish, at European, and at global levels, and perhaps to offer some tentative ideas on the way forward. In addition to our work as presidency, there have been significant progress at home, and we have also been active in discussions within the United Nations system and in the international financial institutions. So even without the presidency, 2013 was always going to be a challenging year. We were heavily engaged in the review of Ireland's own international development policy and the development of a new policy, One World, One Future, which Nora just referred to. Also at the start of 2013, we had three full years left before the deadline for the millennium development goals arrived. And in addition, we were in the early stages of the difficult negotiations and the follow-up to the MDGs, which were loosely described as the post-2015 agenda. So these three major issues really engaged the Irish aid over the last six months. So the first one was the review of the 2006 white paper on Irish aid and the defining and the development of a new policy which we published in April. Commitment review of the white paper on Irish aid was included in the 2011 program for government. The review entailed a comprehensive period of reflection, of listening, and of learning. It sought to examine the progress made by the aid program over the past six years and to review the changing context in Ireland and overseas in which we operate. The review aimed to establish clear priorities to guide the government's overseas aid program in the years ahead. The review reached over 1,000 people directly to public consultation meetings throughout the country and overseas, and over 160 written submissions were received. The review also involved meetings with NGOs, the private sector and other interested groups in Ireland as well as discussion in the Shannad and Arachnus committees. The Irish aid expert advisory group, which is chaired by our former Minister for Justice, Nora Wohne, played a very important independent oversight role for the review. It was very important that we had validation, independent validation for all the work that we did, and in fact what we would be doing. Now, next week, I'll be retracing my steps to Cork and to Limerick around about to actually speak to the people who came along in the first instance, the over 1,000 people who attended the meetings, for the early review and coming up with policy suggestions to give them a voice in the suggestions of the policy implementation down the road. So because of the extensive and systematic nature of this review, I'm confident that the new policy we develop in the world, in the future, presents a clear direction for Ireland's road and international development in the years ahead. In that policy document, our vision is the eradication of poverty to sustainable development. The new policy sets out a framework to guide our thematic engagement in development over the coming years. A framework which will help bring greater coherence to our work and enable us to better plan for and measure more comprehensively the results which our development efforts are achieving. To reach our three goals, we have identified six priority areas for action around which we will plan and manage our resources. Our core values of accountability, human rights, equality, coherence, sustainability, partnership, effectiveness and results will underpin those plans. Achieving food and nutrition security is now a center stage in our thematic framework in light of our leading role on the hunger globally. And recognizing the multidimensional nature of poverty and hunger, we are placing greater emphasis on the interconnections between the different priority areas for action. Within this policy framework, we are also signaling an evolution in our approach by increasing our focus on responding to situations of what we call fragility, giving in even more greater attention to human rights as well and to climate change and ensuring that greater emphasis is placed on promoting inclusive and equitable economic growth. Responding to crisis in Syria and Mali over recent months and examining the statistics and progress towards the MDGs, Millennial Development Goals, a greater focus on situations of fragility is an imperative and that is countries in conflict or post-conflict situation. So our new policy includes the announcement that Sierra Leone has been designated a new key partner country for the government. And also central to this will be how best to link relief, recovery and development in terms of resilience, building on humanitarian, on the initial humanitarian need. And over time, we will examine how best to increase our overall engagement with countries experiencing instability and fragility. So that would mean that we would be looking at all our present countries and we'd be looking at all the present areas, looking at the global situation and refocusing on the areas of greatest need. We have always made that as the cornerstone of our policy that the areas of greatest poverty, the areas of greatest need would be the areas that we would have our focus. So our new policy identifies the areas, countries of fragility that are in a conflict situation or a post-conflict situation and we will be working closely on those. Human rights have always been of central importance to our foreign policy, but by committing to reenergize our approach in this area, we are stating clearly that non-discrimination, empowerment, accountability, participation and equality must be at the heart of all our development efforts. In many respects, the human rights agenda is about protecting and empowering the most vulnerable and we will now work towards increasing our response to disability and to further addressing the root causes of gender inequality, an issue which would be dealt with right across our six priority areas for action. Another area which will receive greater attention is climate change. Perhaps the most pressing issue facing poor countries today is climate change. Achieving the balance between the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development is now critical. In addition, the new policy emphasizes that in our pursuit of poverty reduction, we need to attach greater importance to supporting inclusive economic growth by promoting trade, jobs, development, the private sector and the ability of developing countries to finance their own development. Building on the agenda set by the department's Africa strategy, we recognize that now is the time to engage in more rounded partnerships in Africa in particular. Small but significant change in this regard is how we refer to countries we work closely with. These in our new policy are no longer program countries but will be key partner countries. That means we can engage with them at different levels as the need arises but also on a partnership basis rather than on the original simply aid basis which was the program basis. Bearing in mind the different circumstances and stages of development in the nine partner countries, we must seize the opportunity to increase trade and investment opportunities there. To the department and our embassies across Africa and in close cooperation with Enterprise Ireland and other agencies and business associations, we have committed ourselves to helping with the research, the networking and the groundwork that can identify and facilitate two-way trade and investment between Ireland and Africa. As the township said at the launch of our new policy, this will be good for our partner countries but it will also be good for us. So moving beyond the policy framework which governs what we do in world one future also signals changes to the way we do things. We are clearing this policy that aid alone will not solve the problems of poverty and hunger. For our part, our contribution is not just financial. We have a strong voice on the international stage and we will continue to use it. Importantly, the policy recognizes strongly our ability to contribute to good development outcomes not just through our foreign policy but also through policies right across government. That is why this policy applies to all government departments and commits to strengthening the whole of government approach. This will include improving the workings of the Interpartmental Committee on Development in my department and a new biennial report to the Iraq that some progress made in addressing policy coherence and promoting greater collaboration across government. And we see this as quite a change and quite an emphasis again that can be enormously beneficial particularly in ensuring that there's good governments and a good start in fragile countries that are coming out of conflict situations. It must also be recognized that our new policy has been formulated in very difficult circumstances in Ireland and across Europe from when we had the previous white paper in 2006. And you will all remember that we were in the middle of the Celtic Tiger then. We're not quite in the middle of the Celtic Tiger at the present time. Few things have changed. But yet in 2013, it still reflects a huge commitment by the government to ensure overseas development assistance remains an important policy priority and that this is reflected in our strong annual budgetary allocation. We have recognized fully that our spending on overseas aid must be completely transparent, providing maximum value for money and delivering positive results in the lives of those targeted. Accountability will be central to this and we are set out clearly in this policy who we are accountable to and how. We will also continue to demand high standards from those through whom we channel aid funding. That is the NGOs, the multilateral organizations, the key partner countries, country governments and others. We will continue to work with partners who have a proven ability to deliver quality programs and deliver results for poor communities. Our partnership with Irish based NGOs, with Irish missionary groups and with Irish institutions including in the areas of education will remain an important dimension of the program and will have a particular emphasis on demonstrating value for money and delivering results. We will also focus on increasing public engagement with the aid program and identifying ways by which the diaspora groups from developing countries can contribute their knowledge and experience in a manner which benefits the objectives of our new policy. The implementation of this policy will help us to focus on where we can make the most differences and rationalize our efforts in that regard. Over the coming months we will work to set out the changes we will make and the time frame in which we will make them. Implementation will take time and it will in some cases mean making hard decisions. As I said earlier, next week I will travel to Cork and Limerick and I will be holding meetings with the diaspora in September to meet the people who helped to formulate the policy and to ensure that they have a say in its implementation process. With this new policy we mark the beginning of a fresh chapter for Ireland in international development. We begin this chapter with the confidence that there is much to build on and a strong commitment in Ireland at all levels to making a difference in the lives of the poorest and the most vulnerable people that we work with. So that's our policy, our new policy in brief. And I'd like now to move on to the second pillar of my talk, which is the European Union presidency activities. So the second major event in the year for us was of course the presidency of the European Union, our 40th anniversary as members of the European Union and our seventh presidencies. We were anxious naturally right across government to make it as successful as the other six had been. We didn't want to fall down at this time because by the time we get round to having another presidency, I won't be in government anyway, Nora and you probably won't be chair of the advisory committee. It's I think 2028 as our next presidency or sometime like that. And by that time, of course, half the Balkan countries might have come in so it could be another few years as well. We have always striven to place the interests of the union foremost and the shared common interests of the member states above consideration of national value in our presidency. And the wisdom of this approach can be seen in the very significant results achieved by the Taoiseach and the other ministerial colleagues in recent weeks when a number of extremely difficult and sensitive negotiations were brought to a successful conclusion, particularly the multi-annual financial framework which determines the European Union spending for the 28 states over the next seven years. However, it's only human to hope that our national priorities will to some measure be shared by our European partners and on resuming the responsibility for presidency coordination in the area of development. I, like all the other ministers, was anxious to explore the scope for common EU positions which reflected some of our priorities and to explore that to the greatest extent possible. In relation to my priority in development, in February I hosted the informal meeting of development ministers here in Dublin with the participation of three key members of the Commission, and this was a very significant event, that Commissioner Peabags for Development, Commissioner Georgie Ava for Humanitarian Aid, and Commissioner Potachnik for the Environment all agreed to come to our informal meeting. This is pretty much unprecedented, but it did mean that we were able to start off on the right foot. There was a thoughtful and constructive exchange of views on what Europe's priorities should be in the post-2015 discussions and how we could engage and advance the ambitious ideas set out on the Commission's agenda for change, which had been the previous year. I was pleased that consensus emerged around the idea that there should be one agenda for development after 2015 rather than separate development and sustainability agendas, the direction which certain member states and indeed commissioners had been leaning to prior to our presidency. This consensus strengthened the negotiating position of the European Union in the ongoing international discussions on the post-2015 agenda and gave our partners early notice of European Union ambitions for that process. I'd say a few words later on what I see as the main trends emerging in the discussions on the post-2015 framework. So that was February, our first informal meeting which really brought together the different strands of looking at the structure into an integrated approach. Then in April, to highlight the interlinked challenges of hunger, under-nutrition and the impact of climate change, Townsend and former President Mary Robinson co-hosted a conference focusing on how best to address these challenges. Conference was attended by President Higgins, former US Vice President Al Gore, European Union Development Commissioners, Andrews Peabags, many of you here, other decision makers from across the European Union and the United Nations, and particularly and especially over 100 grassroots representatives from across the developing world. And we engaged in what we call learning circles and in breakouts and in workshops. And I was really struck by the impact that this conference had on our EU colleagues who were there, as well as our global colleagues. And indeed, when shortly afterwards, in the following month, in the World Bank at the spring meeting, which I attended in Washington, everybody was talking about it and how different it was in terms of consultation, how valuable it was to do business. But it did bring together the hunger, the nutrition and the climate change agenda for the first time in one single integration of the post-2000 and the post-2015, the MDGs and in terms of the Rio plus 20 agenda, they brought the two strands together strongly there. Of course, the formal decisions on European Union policy in the area of international development are taken during the development segment of the Foreign Affairs Council, which then was the third major step and that took place on the 28th of May in Brussels. The development council meets only once in each presidency and so marks to a large degree. Culmination of the presidency's efforts in the area of the International Development Corporation. It was with this in mind that we agreed with the High Representative, Baroness Catherine Ashton, as chair of the council to schedule the development council late in Ireland's EU Council presidency and to convene the meeting as a standalone session on the 28th of May. This is the first time ever that there has been a separate day given over to the development segment of the Foreign Affairs Council. So, this arrangement allowed Ireland as EU Council presidency to work with the EES to prepare a substantive agenda for the meeting and provided EU development ministers with significantly more time for discussion on the agenda items in phone. The main issue in the International Development Agenda is what structure and what priorities will replace the Millennium Development Goals, which were agreed in 2000 and which are due to expire in 2015. So, establishing a new development framework for the post-2015 agenda was crucial and will be crucial moving forward in terms of it being accepted elsewhere too. And this is reflected in the intensity and the range of discussions taking place across the world in the European Union at the high level panel appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General at the United Nations Open Working Group on sustainable development goals coming from Rio and at the 11 thematic and over 50 country dialogues which have been organized by the United Nations across the world. So, there's been a huge input into seeing how we're going to structure the post-development goals, the post-Rio, plus 20, what structure is going to be there and what the priorities are going to be and how it is going to be managed. And incidentally, our permanent representative at the United Nations, Anne Anderson. Jointly with the permanent representative from South Africa will be facilitating the next big event that will dovetail, all of this will dovetail into, in September, the 25th of this year, 2013, at the United Nations General Assembly. So, a new global development framework for the next 15 years, as I said, was the main focus and was the main challenge for the Irish presidency with all of the other priorities that I have just mentioned. So, we identified at an early stage in our preparation for the presidency that strong United EU engagement in this global discussion was essential and that Ireland as presidency, during this crucial period, would be well placed to shape and focus the European Union's position, particularly in relation to the United Nations special event that I have just referred to on the Millennium Development Goals in September. Working with the EU, a high representative of Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Peabags, the Irish presidency negotiated a coherent and effective EU position of what a post-2015 framework might look like. And you can read it in the Council conclusions. The position was endorsed by the European Union Development and Environmental Ministers before finally being adopted in June at the General Affairs Council, which was chaired by the Thonister. So, we had to get all the ducks together in the sense that it had to be adopted by the Development Ministers in May and it had to be adopted by the Environmental Ministers in June and then it had to be tied up at the final fact meeting at the end of June. So, the EU position sets out the important building blocks that we as the 28th EU Member States consider essential for a robust and ambitious framework, while at the same time signalling that we are willing to engage with our partners to understand their views with the aim of working together to build consensus. Also, in May 2012, with the Development Council welcomed the new European Union Development Policy proposed by the Commission, that is the agenda for change. And one year on during our presidency then, we conducted a review at Council level on how the EU's new policy had been implemented over the past year. Discussions focused on a paper jointly prepared by the Commission and the EES, which noted progress and accountability, the concentration of EU policy assistance, development assistance in programming the next MFF period from 2014 to 2020, and budget support. The paper also noted that following discussions in partner countries, European Union joint programming will begin in additional 36 countries, bringing to over 40 the number of countries where European Union joint programming will be operation before the end of 2016. So that was part and parcel of the work that was being done during the presidency, was getting countries together on a joint programming basis, policy development for coherence so that countries weren't going off in different directions, but to bring the multilateral and the member states together and in a broader context with partner countries in terms of joint programming and therefore to maximize and optimize the resources that were there. So from the outset, Ireland had been a strong supporter of the direction of the agenda for change and much of the provisions correlate closely with our own development policy, particularly the commitments to poverty or eradication, tackling hunger, improving the effectiveness of our development assistance, a strong focus on human rights and ensuring that development assistance is focused on those most in need. I reaffirmed our continued support for the work of the Commission on the EES in implementing the agenda for change and also noted our continued commitment to the European Union joint programming and the requirement to ensure that the European Union development assistance is focused on those regions, countries and communities that are most in need and again, a shift in that direction, too, in relation to the Commission and in relation to the European Union. Thirdly, tackling global hunger and in particular the scourge of under-nutrition has been a central focus of the Irish presidency. While as a global community, we have made some good progress under the Millennium Development Goals, the reality is that one billion people still live in extreme poverty and 870 million people live with hunger and 7,000 children die every day of the week from malnutrition and from disease. At the Development Council, ministers adopted conclusions that will help ensure that the European Union and its member states implement our policy commitments on under-nutrition and food insecurity and that we are held accountable for them. The conclusions also endorsed the new EU Food and Nutrition Security Implementation Plan that was developed in close cooperation with Ireland with the member states and sets out how the EU and its member states will deliver on and implement the policy priority commitments of the 2010 EU Food Security Policy. So the new 2013 EU Nutrition Policy and other relevant EU External Assistant Policies and it will translate these policy commitments into action over the period from 2014 and 2020. So we would see that as very much part and parcel of our focus, the combination of hunger, nutrition and the climate change and the fact that that is one of the major conclusions now in the European Union, the EU Food and Nutrition Security Implementation Plan has been adopted as well. There will be a lot of emphasis in the European Union on this particular area. So honouring our pledges will help us to ensure that we can realise the vision of a world free from hunger and under-nutrition in our lifetime, a world where all children get the chance to survive, grow and reach their potential. Fortley, throughout the course of our presidency, Ireland has striven to promote better linkages between relief recovery and development and increase focus on building the resilience of the most vulnerable individuals, the most vulnerable families, communities and nations which are at the core of our programme of work. The increasing frequency and intensity of disasters is a major threat to long-term development and to the economic progress of poor people in developing countries. At the Development Council, these efforts culminated in the adoption of conclusions on a new EU approach to building the resilience of the most vulnerable communities in the poorest developing countries that ensures closer collaboration between the European Union's humanitarian and development arms. As we see from the European Union's flagship resilience initiatives in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, which in fact have been very effective, a common approach is far more effective than separated fragmented approaches. So again, that was a major trust of our presidency and the conclusions on that are strong. Fifthly and finally, inevitably discussions on European Union development assistance targets took place. Commissioner Peabags noted the downward trend in collective European Union ODA level. This is the second year running that the collective EU ODA has declined. However, it is important to note that despite the economic difficulties the European Union collectively continues to deliver over 50% of global official development assistance to developing countries. That is a figure in excess of 55 billion in 2012. Development ministers adopted conclusions at the Development Council reaffirming the collective commitment of the European Union and its member states to all their individual and collective ODA commitments. Taken into account the exceptional budgetary circumstances we are in and many of the European countries were in. Nevertheless, collectively the European Union made a commitment to the EU targets. For Ireland, I believe it is a very significant achievement in the most difficult circumstances that the government has broadly stabilised the levels of Ireland's development assistance. Government is strongly committed to Ireland's overseas aid programme and its centrality to our foreign policy. And this has made clear in our new policy on international development, One World, One Future, which also restates the programme for government's commitments to achieving the United Nations target of providing 0.7% of GNP for official development assistance. It's not going to be an easy target to reach by 2015, but we have reaffirmed that target and that is what we're going to be striving for. And it's in our new policy. So the third and final area that I wanted to say a few words on was the road ahead of the post-2015, and of course we have to be tentative about this area. Predicting the course of a complex negotiating process which has two years to run, two and a half years, involving over 190 states is a dangerous and perhaps foolhardy undertaking, but there are certain trends becoming apparent in the discussions. There are also certain priorities which are very widely shared. At the core of the current discussions on this post-2015 development agenda is the question of how to effectively address the interrelated challenges of environmental sustainability and poverty eradication. The Millennium Development Goals which have guided global development efforts since 2000 have made an enormous contribution in organizing collective efforts to improve the lives of millions of people. Since 2000, we have seen the most significant improvements in human development in history. Over 600 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty. Over 2 billion people now have access to improved water supplies and 14,000 more children are escaping death from preventable diseases every day. It's two-thirds of the way but there is still another third. This progress is truly inspiring and has been the result of a massive collective effort in many developing countries with strong support from the European Union and other developed countries. However, more progress is needed and crucially we are increasingly realizing that this progress cannot and will not be achieved if we do not address a number of complex challenges including those related to climate change and environmental degradation and conflict. The post-2015 development framework presents us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to forge a global agreement to eradicate extreme poverty throughout the world and ensure that all the people on the planet can enjoy a decent standard of living. In the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals a group mandated by the Rio 20 Plus Summit to develop recommendations for Sustainable Development Goals Ireland has been actively working with our partners Norway and Denmark with whom we share a seat so that's our grouping and we're working separately on that as well as the other things we're doing. The traumatic discussions have already covered the conceptualization of the SDGs the Sustainable Development Goals poverty eradication, food security and nutrition sustainable agriculture, desertification land degradation and drought water and sanitation employment and decent work for all social protection, youth, education and culture and health and population dynamics. The breadth and depth of the discussions are certainly very wide-ranging. There has been active involvement and consultation with civil society organizations and the co-chairs have done a number of work in guiding these discussions. The Open Working Group is due to report to the United Nations Secretary-General in September 2014 that's as we hope before the United Nations General Assembly meets because it was late and starting and Ireland as a member will remain centrally engaged in this process. Ireland has also been actively engaged in following the discussions led by the United Nations Development Group on a range of thematic areas as well as consultations in a large number of countries and of regions and as I already said Ireland and our EU partners consider it imperative to bring together the work on the review of the Millennium Development Goals with the work on the Rea Plus 20 follow-up into an overarching post-2015 agenda. That is the challenge we've set ourselves and that is what we will be bringing to the table in September in the United Nations which has the overall remit in relation to these goals. But beyond that we also consider it vital that any post-2015 framework should have the following priorities. First of all to put the eradication of poverty and working to achieve sustainable development at its very heart. Secondly to ensure basic living standards including food and nutrition, security, health, education, water and sanitation decent work and social protection floors for all. Thirdly to ensure a rights-based approach encompassing all human rights while addressing justice, equality and equity, good governance, democracy and the rule of law with a strong focus on the empowerment and rights of women and girls. Fourthly to recognize the special needs of fragile states and countries affected by conflict are in a post-conflict situation. And fifthly to build on the progress made with the MDGs and to address any gaps where progress hasn't been made to the level that was hoped for. Sixthly to be globally applicable yet recognize different national contexts and circumstances so that it is relevant to all countries and to all people. Seventh be ambitious but with measurable goals and targets which are regularly monitored. And eight be developed and implemented in close partnership with all stakeholders in a way ensures that the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable are heard and their needs are prioritized. So as we look forward over the next two and a half years 2015 in many respects much of the work has yet to be done and challenges facing the international community in relation to the post-2015 development framework are very similar to the challenges facing global development more generally. One of the most pressing and fundamental challenges will be maintaining the mutually reinforcing aims of poverty, eradication and sustainability in a universal framework. The reality is as we look towards to 2050 and the critical and the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change it is impossible to ignore that human well-being in all countries is inherently interlinked with environmental sustainability. Climate change is already having a direct impact on the poorest communities and this is going to increase and indeed in many areas very rapidly. For example it is now estimated that in order to feed a global population of 9 billion in 2050 agricultural production will need to increase by about 60% on current levels. Yet over the same period it is estimated that climate change could reduce food production by a quarter. I visited a place like Malawi in Ethiopia where I have seen first hand the impact that drought has subsistence farmers and their families where the harsh environmental conditions have meant that year on year thousands of people are living on the brink of starvation. Similarly it is estimated that reductions in air, water and chemical pollution can prevent up to one quarter of the overall global disease burden. Indoor pollution from cook stoves is a major cause of lung disease in many countries in particular for women and children under 5. Improvements in clean air water and energy are essential if we are to make progress on improving health and well-being. So all of this has been recognised by the high level panel of women and persons on the post 2015 development agenda who submitted their report to the United Nations Secretary General in May. The report calls on the international community to focus on poverty eradication and to commit to eradicating poverty completely by 2030, that's the next 15 years. In doing so it emphasises the need to ensure an integrated approach to addressing poverty eradication and sustainable development. And the report also makes a number of important recommendations. Of course this is the report of the high level panel that's to feed in to the review of the post 2015. It highlights the critical issue of inequality recommending that the progress in each goal be desegregated and that targets to only be considered achieved when met for all relevant income and social groups. It also recognises that the locus of extreme poverty and deprivation in the world as we look forward will overwhelmingly be in conflict affected and chronically fragile states. These states have made these progress with regards to the MDGs are sustainable development. And the report further highlights need to ensure that work to support countries to be more peaceful and stable is an important element of the new framework. Furthermore it is only by adopting a rights-based approach and addressing justice, good governance and equality that we will be able to design a framework that addresses the needs of all those most vulnerable and marginalised. There are only a few, select few of the numerous important recommendations contained in the report of the high level panel which form a critical input to the ongoing discussions on the new agenda post 2015. Conservative Prime Minister of Great Britain is one of the three chair on that high level panel so this reflects thinking from you might say right of centre not just left of centre. So I was pleased though not surprised to find that many of the priorities identified in our own strategy and for development are reflected in this important document. For those who have not read it, I thirdly recommend that you do, you read both. Finally, in terms of challenges and opportunities, one of the most innovative aspects of the new post 2015 framework is the concept of universality. As agreed at the RIA plus 20 conference on sustainable development these new goals will be universal with responsibilities for both least developed and low income, middle income and high income countries. So that is the thinking and that should be the trust of the new goals that should be right across the board. It should have universality. This recognize the reality that the global challenges we face are inherently interlinked and only by tackling them together can we overcome them. Therefore this new framework will call on us all to commit to achieving the goals so that takes it far beyond the normal development agenda it is taking it into a crucial universality agenda, global agenda. High income countries must go beyond providing aid. We must look at addressing our production and consumption patterns so that we live our lives in a way that is less damaging to the environment. We must live up to our commitments in relation to climate change and reducing emissions. We must also live up to commitments on ODA overseas development assistance but go beyond that looking at broader issues relating to financing for development. These issues will require a national conversation in Ireland both in terms of what our expectations are for the post 2015 framework and how we as a nation can contribute to this global agenda. This conversation is ongoing and will continue in the months and years ahead and I am committed to ensuring that Ireland is a strong voice supporting an ambitious framework that will deliver a better life for the billions of people still living in poverty and a more sustainable path for future generations. This imperative is one which underpins both our new global development policy, one world, one future and our engagement with the European Union and our engagement globally with the United Nations in the post 2015 development agenda. A critical element of success in a green and new global development framework will be building consensus across all 193 member states within the General Assembly. It is only by reaching out to our partners in all regions and working closely with our EU partners to build consensus that we can hope to agree an ambitious, coherent set of goals that will truly be an achievement that this generation can be proud of. In spite of the many obstacles which I have mentioned, I am confident that the international community can come together in 2015 and agree a far-reaching universal agenda for economic, environmental and social development. Indeed, the consequence of failure to do so are probably too awful to contemplate. So I thank you once again for your support and as I said at the very beginning I want to thank you for being so kind to listen to me for so long in such wonderful circumstances outside and should you have any really demanding questions I am more than prepared to answer them. Thank you.