Meryl Streep joins Irish and other officials at UN women’s rights event

Tánaiste Micheál Martin joined actress Meryl Streep and other officials at a United Nations event on Monday looking at the lives of Afghan women.
Mr Martin addressed the event, which was co-hosted by the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of Ireland, Switzerland, Indonesia and Qatar, on “Ways to Include Women In the Future of Afghanistan”.
It included the screening of a short documentary, which was introduced by Streep, on the participation of four Afghan women leaders in Doha peace talks in 2020 prior to the Taliban takeover.
The Taliban has since excluded women from participation in politics in Afghanistan, and last July Ireland was among a number of countries to strongly criticise their continued exclusion at a meeting in Qatar between the UN and Taliban officials.
[ ‘Ghosts in our own country’: Afghan women voice horror at Taliban law banning them from speaking outside the homeOpens in new window ]
Mr Martin is in New York for the UN high-level week, where the heads of state of a host of countries come together to discuss policy and global affairs. Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan is also in attendance in New York, as is Taoiseach Simon Harris and President Michael D Higgins.
On Tuesday, Mr Harris will hold a bilateral meeting with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
It will be the first meeting between the Taoiseach and president Abbas since Ireland recognised the state of Palestine in May this year and comes against the backdrop of an ongoing human catastrophe in Gaza and growing attacks in the West Bank.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, he said, “Ireland recognised the State of Palestine to help keep alive the hope of a two state solution with Palestine and Israel living peacefully side-by-side. Today I will be asking President Abbas how we can support him and the Palestinian Authority in making that hope a reality. Ireland knows how important it is for a country to take its place on the global stage.”
Also on Tuesday, following the official opening of the UN General Assembly, Mr Harris will hold bilateral meetings with King Abdullah of Jordan and the secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.