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From:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, will travel to New York today (20 September) to attend United Nations High-Level Week.The Minister will highlight her priorities to colleagues at the UN, including the Middle East and Ukraine, and will underline Ireland’s commitment to strengthening multilateralism and the international legal order.The Minister will co-host an event on Afghanistan in collaboration with the Malala Fund to highlight the situation of Afghan women and girls, and lay a wreath at the 9/11 Memorial to mark the recent 25th anniversary of the September 2001 attacks. Minister McEntee will also engage in business and trade meetings to further enhance Ireland’s reputation a top European destination for investment.Speaking ahead of the visit, Minister McEntee said: “Leaders and Foreign Ministers gather this week at an absolutely critical juncture. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, and the impact they have both on people at home in Ireland and on the ground, will be the focus of our discussions.”“I will use every opportunity to highlight Ireland’s steadfast support for multilateral cooperation and the international legal order with the United Nations at its core. Respect for international humanitarian law must remain at the centre of our collective response to these challenges.”“As Ireland seeks election to the Human Rights Council from 2027-2029, we will champion human rights, gender equality and international cooperation at a time when these principles are under increasing pressure. I look forward to engaging with key partners on these shared challenges over the course of the week.”In New York, Minister McEntee will attend a number of high-level events, hold bilateral meetings with counterparts, and engage with representatives of the Irish community and business leaders in the United States. Her trade engagements come in advance of the EU Trade Council meeting that she will host in Ireland next month.Minister McEntee will give remarks at the meeting of the Women Leaders Network of the Africa-Europe Foundation. She will also speak at a High-Level Event on International Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian Action, and participate in an informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers. The Minister will attend the annual meeting of the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court and speak at a High-Level Ministerial event on ensuring accountability for Ukraine.ENDSPress Office20 September 2026