Special meeting of the SDSN Ireland Leadership Council

4 Mar 2026

A special meeting of the Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Ireland was held at the NUI Offices in Dublin on 04 March 2026 to discuss ongoing initiatives across the network and the broader role of Ireland and Europe in advancing the 2023 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting included several guests from the global SDSN community, including Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of the SDSN Association, and María Cortés Puch, Vice President of Networks. The student voice was represented by Sumaya Mohommed (UCC) and Elizabeth Zion (UCD). 

Convened by co-chairs of SDSN Ireland, Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC, and Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor at Queen's University Belfast, this meeting provided an opportunity for council members to meet with SDSN leadership, to reflect on recent progress, and to identify opportunities to enhance the Network’s impact, including in the context of Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency. Professor Jeffrey Sachs delivered a Keynote Address on emerging developments and opportunities for collaboration across SDSN, and María Cortés Puch presented on priorities and initiatives across SDSN Europe.

Co-hosted by University College Cork and Queen’s University Belfast, SDSN Ireland is dedicated to fostering cross-sector partnerships amongst universities, NGOs, businesses, local authorities, and national governments to accelerate full SDG implementation.