A Distinguished Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and a former Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations. A senior Irish diplomat, he played a pivotal role as co-facilitator of the UN negotiations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015, and later co-facilitated the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants in 2016.

Ambassador Donoghue had a distinguished career in Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, including roles as Political Director, Director General of Irish Aid, and Ambassador to Russia, Austria, and Germany. He was also a key member of the Irish Government’s negotiating team for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, a landmark in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Since retiring in 2017, he has remained deeply engaged in global policy dialogue on sustainable development, migration, and conflict resolution, contributing to leading think tanks, academic institutions, and peacebuilding organizations, including as Chairman of the Board of Conciliation Resources.