Minister Brophy visits New York to announce over $1 million in ESP funding for Irish Organisations

The Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy, T.D. is in New York today, 20 October, for a series of engagements at the United Nations Security Council, to meet Irish Community Organisations and to announce funding of more than $1 million from the Emigrant Support Programme to Irish Organisations in New York, the greater Tri-State Area and Pennsylvania.

Today, Minister Brophy will participate in a high-level debate on the Great Lakes Region, which will be chaired by Kenya. The aim of this meeting is to support regional governments in finding solutions to deal with the root causes of conflict, with a special focus on illegal exploitation of natural resources.

In his statement, the Minister will note “It is only by addressing the root causes of conflict and drivers of instability that it is truly possible to build sustainable and lasting peace,” and that “the development of long-lasting and sustainable solutions requires the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law.”

On Thursday 21 October, the Minister will participate in the Security Council’s Annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security which will focus on “Investing in Women in Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding”. The Open Debate aims to bring attention to the role of local women and their influence in all stages of peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding, while also promoting and highlighting grassroots women leaders of all ages, human rights defenders and peace signatories.

This is a priority issue for Ireland, including in the context of our term on the UN Security Council, where we have played a leading role. In his statement, the Minister will reinforce our long-standing commitment to the WPS Agenda, while also highlighting the importance of empowering women, raising their voices and investing in them. He will stress the need to ensure the participation of women peacebuilders in peace and political processes, express Ireland’s support for civil society and human rights defenders, and endorse the UN Secretary-General’s call for states to privilege social over military spending.

This afternoon, the Minister will announce details of more than $1 million (over €850,000) in new funding for the Irish community in New York, the greater Tri-State Area and Pennsylvania. The Minister will meet local Irish Community leaders to thank them for the vital work they have done to support our Diaspora – especially the most vulnerable – over the difficult period of the Covid pandemic. The funding package will assist 24 organisations across the region and comes from the Government’s Emigrant Support Programme (ESP), run by the Department of Foreign Affairs.