LAST UPDATE | 6 Oct 2023

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. Higgins has begun a busy month of travel in Portugal, attending the annual ‘Arraiolos Group’ meeting of non-executive European Presidents.

This year’s meeting, attended by 14 Heads of State from across the continent, is hosted by Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

President Higgins will then go on to Rome, where he will speak about food security at the World Food Forum.

In today’s meetings in the city of Porto, the president discussed climate change and “the failure of some of the most powerful nations to meet their commitments”, before an official dinner hosted by President de Sousa.

Speaking after the meeting, Higgins said he was “pleased to have had the opportunity to once again gather with my fellow Heads of State to discuss some of the most important shared challenges facing us”. 

“Our meeting has taken place at a time of intersecting crises,” added Higgins.

“For example – climate change, food security, global poverty and migration are inextricably linked.

“Each of these challenges have been greatly exacerbated by conflicts and war, including that on our own continent.

“They lead to increased patterns of involuntary large-scale migration. None of these challenges can be overcome on their own, or without reference to the broader context each of them creates.”

Higgins called on his fellow leaders to avoid “short-term narrow, often exclusionary, actions” and to instead deliver “structural change” to “break this continuous cycle of intersecting crises”. 

Higgins then thanked his “fellow Presidents for the valuable discussions we have had” and added: “My hope [is] that when we meet next year, we will do so with evidence or real action having been taken over the intervening period to address the strong concerns which we all share regarding these most vital issues.”

While in Rome later this month, President Higgins will meet with Pope Francis, whose encyclical Laudate Deum the President has welcomed. 

Laudate Deum (Praise God) is described as Pope Francis’ “exhortation to all people of good will on the climate crisis”.

In it, he expresses hope that the forthcoming COP28 climate talks “will allow for a decisive acceleration of energy transition, with effective commitments subject to ongoing monitoring”.

Higgins said the encyclical has “reflected so many of the concerns which we have discussed and highlighted once more the urgency of taking real and meaningful action”.

Among the others on his list are the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and the heads of the three Rome-based food organisations.

-With additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper