Key John: Motions — Rt Hon Helen Clark—Appointment as Head of United Nations  Development Programme 
Key John: Motions — Rt Hon Helen Clark—Appointment as Head of United Nations  Development Programme 
[Volume:653;Page:2271] 
Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 I seek leave of the House to move a motion without notice to express endorsement of the appointment of the Rt Hon Helen Clark as head of the United Nations Development Programme. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that course being followed? There is none. 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: I move  
That this House expresses its congratulations to New Zealand’s former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark on securing the very important role of head of the United Nations Development Programme.  
Today at around 8.30 a.m. New Zealand time the United Nations General Assembly voted to endorse Helen Clark in this role following the nomination of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The vote represents the end of a long and challenging process as individuals from around the world have competed for this much sought-after position. It is a great achievement for Helen Clark personally and is one that all New Zealanders can be proud of. Her new role holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and is the third-highest ranking position in the UN. 
Helen Clark has reached these new heights after many years of service to New Zealanders at home and on the world stage. She is one of our country’s longest-serving members of Parliament. She has been a member of this House for 27 years and one who has always worked hard on behalf of the New Zealanders she came to serve. Her abilities and the respect that New Zealanders have for her is reflected in the variety of senior roles she has exercised during that time culminating in her service as New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister. She held that position for 9 years—a duration that ranks her amongst New Zealand’s longest-serving Prime Ministers. 
Throughout that time—and indeed prior to her election to Parliament—Helen Clark has shown qualities that prepare her well for her new job. She has always shown a passionate interest in international affairs and she has dealt with complex domestic politics and gained the trust and respect of New Zealanders. She has never been afraid to exercise her views on issues even when they placed her at odds with others. I am sure these qualities have prepared her well for what will be a complex and demanding role at the United Nations. 
The scope of the job is difficult to overstate. It will see Helen Clark running United Nations programmes in all developing countries with a budget of around US$5 billion. She will be working to help establish democracies reduce poverty improve healthcare help in crisis prevention and recovery and assist with environmental issues. She will be working to get buy-in for her initiatives and to ensure follow-through on the ground. She will do so in the context of what is a particularly challenging economic time for the world. Many developed countries will be financially stretched in the coming years yet the needs of poorer developing countries will be no fewer. It will fall to Helen Clark in her new role to ensure that the world’s wealthy nations—no matter the difficulty of the times—continue to provide support to those less fortunate. In other words the United Nations Development Programme needs someone who can front for it mobilise resources and give the organisation a human face. In appointing Helen Clark it has endorsed someone it believes is capable of that task. The challenges ahead of her are formidable yet I am confident she will rise to them. On behalf of this House and all New Zealanders I offer Helen Clark our ongoing support in her new role. The New Zealand Government offered our full and formal endorsement to her bid and we take great pleasure in her success. 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have played a role in supporting Helen Clark’s campaign for this international position particularly in our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In particular let me single out Rosemary Banks who in her role as New Zealand Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York has worked hard for this outcome. I personally wrote and spoke to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convey the Government’s support for Helen Clark’s bid and as Prime Minister I spoke to many international leaders to encourage their support. I am pleased to report that their support came willingly and from many corners and parts of the world. Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum gave their support as did the Australian and United Kingdom Governments as well as many many other leaders. 
But let me be plain: in the end their support did not come because of the advocacy of the New Zealand Government; ultimately the reason Helen Clark won the leaders’ support for her bid and indeed this role was the personal abilities she brought to the table. Her successes demonstrate the respect that so many in the international community have for her. This support has been underscored by the universal welcome that UN member countries have shown for her appointment. Helen Clark should be very proud of her achievement and New Zealanders should be very proud of her. 
On a personal note let me say how pleased I am that Helen Clark will have this opportunity to further her achievements on the world stage. We come from different sides of the political spectrum; in the last election campaign and in the years leading up to it I competed vigorously against her for the right to govern this country—that is politics. We have brought different approaches priorities and outlooks to the issues that the country faces and we have each voiced those views strongly. That we have been able to do so is one of the great strengths of New Zealand society. Although we have had our disagreements Helen I say this to you: viewed from the world stage our differences are not so great. I am sure all New Zealanders no matter their political beliefs know that your achievements today warrant the putting aside of politics. Over the past days many have quipped that no matter how important he is many New Zealanders do not know the name of the current United Nations Development Programme administrator. However I am certain that by the end of Helen Clark’s term New Zealanders will know not only who she is but what she does and most important they will know what countries the United Nations Development Programme is assisting and why. If their engagement with Helen is anything like mine has been over the last couple of months they will have many text messages along the way. 
I for one Helen wish you the very best. We will work with you Helen as you take up this most demanding role. We will proudly stand alongside you in your new endeavour. Your appointment is not only a proud day for you personally but also a very very proud day for all New Zealanders and I personally want to offer you my congratulations. 
[ 
Applause 
]