Hon Phil Goff Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

1 October 2004

NZ to seek term on UN Security Council

New Zealand will seek a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council in 2015 and 2016, Foreign Minister Phil Goff announced today.

“New Zealand has traditionally taken a seat on the Security Council every twenty years or so. We see this as a strong symbol of our long-term commitment to effective multilateralism, and it will be a major foreign policy priority for New Zealand in the coming decade,” Mr Goff said.

“Under the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

“If elected, we would be at the heart of all collective security issues, and be able to further strengthen our support for the UN and its Secretary-General."

Mr Goff said New Zealand was bidding for its fourth term on the Security Council since the UN was founded in 1945. Previous terms were in 1954-55, a one-year term in 1966, and in 1993-94.

“It is normal for countries to signal their interest well in advance, as elections for the Security Council are among the most hotly contested in the United Nations. Member states work within their regional electoral groups and among the wider membership to get as much support as possible behind them," Mr Goff said. New Zealand’s campaign kicked off this week in New York with an announcement to the regional Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) of UN members.

WEOG consists of 28 countries: the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and 19 other western European countries; plus New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, Israel and Turkey.

ENDS

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