Ireland is co-hosting a major UN summit in New York today, to discuss the issue of refugees and migrants.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan will address the UN General Assembly later.

Today's summit will be the first time the United Nations has dealt with the issue of both migrants and refugees at a high-level meeting of all 193 member states at the UN general assembly.

The conference will look at the root causes of the large movements of refugees, as well as highlighting the positive contributions of migrants.

About 65 million have been displaced from their homes due to conflict, violence or political persecution, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The number of migrants is estimated to be around 244 million.

The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which will be adopted by the UN today, aims to strengthen governance of international migration, and create a more predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants.