ACTIVITES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN NEW ZEALAND, 22-24 FEBRUARY
The Secretary-General flew from Sydney, Australia, to Wellington, New Zealand, arriving close to midnight on Tuesday, 22 February.
He was met at the airport by the Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Phil Goff. During a brief exchange with correspondents at the airport, the Secretary- General expressed his delight at visiting New Zealand and being given the opportunity to meet with its leaders. He thanked the Government and people of New Zealand for its participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, most recently, in East Timor. In answer to a question on why a small nation like New Zealand was important, the Secretary-General indicated that political will and participation were more important than size; New Zealand, said the Secretary- General, had demonstrated its commitment to the work of the United Nations.
On Wednesday morning the Secretary-General met New Zealand's Prime Minister, Helen Clark. During that meeting, Mr. Annan personally thanked Prime Minister Clark and her Government for its assistance in East Timor and for the work being done in Cambodia on demining. The Secretary-General also expressed his hope for Ms. Clark to attend the Millenium Summit in New York in September 2000. The Prime Minister raised a number of issues with the Secretary-General, including United Nations finances, peacekeeping and disarmament.
They then held a joint press briefing, where both took the opportunity to publicly talk about the strong relationship between the United Nations and New Zealand. During that briefing, the Secretary-General was asked by members of the New Zealand media to comment on such issues as the impact of sanctions on the Iraqi people, the ongoing process of reforming the world body, the United Nations ability to rapidly respond to a crisis, and New Zealand's decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement binding nations to specific targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Secretary-General then held talks with New Zealand's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Phil Goff. Once again, the Secretary-General reiterated his thanks for New Zealand's contribution to East Timor and discussed ways in which Member States, such as New Zealand, could work together to respond swiftly to a crisis.
The Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan then attended a luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister. Mr. Annan referred to the "fighting spirit" of the New Zealand people, congratulating them on their contribution to brokering peace in the region, efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament and the country's leadership on women's issues.
That afternoon, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan called on the Governor- General of New Zealand, Sir Michael Hardie Boys, at Government House.
Later, at Victoria University, the Secretary-General gave a short address to representatives of the United Nations Association of New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs and other non-governmental organizations. There, Mr. Annan spoke of the accomplishments between the United Nations and civil society and the ways in which ties could be strengthened in the future (see SG/SM/7318).
Following that meeting, the Secretary-General met with Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton, at Parliament House. On Wednesday evening, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Annan were guests of honour at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Clarke at Premier House.
On Thursday morning the Secretary-General was the guest at a powhiri, a Maori welcome ceremony, which took place in a marae (traditional meeting house). The Secretary-General then proceeded to the Parliament House for a working lunch hosted by Phil Goff, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with the Minister of Defence, Mark Burton, for half an hour. They discussed peacekeeping issues, including East Timor, and New Zealand's participation in the peacekeeping mission there, as well as nuclear and other conventional weapons disarmament issues. The Secretary- General took the opportunity to thank the Minister of Defence for the support New Zealand has given, and continues to give, to United Nations peacekeeping operations. The current situation in Indonesia was also discussed.
The Secretary-General then met with the leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley. The Secretary-General thanked her for the country's strong support during the crisis in East Timor. Their discussions focussed mainly on East Timor, but they also touched on the current situation in Indonesia, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea. Back at the hotel, the United States Ambassador to New Zealand, Carol Mosely-Braun, paid a brief courtesy call to the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General took the opportunity to brief the Ambassador on his trip to the region.
On Thursday evening, the Secretary-General left Wellington for Auckland, where he boarded a plane for Los Angeles and New York.