Barbara Bridge will be New Zealand’s next disarmament envoy in Vienna, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff and Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Matt Robson announced today.

Ms Bridge takes over from Dr Joan Mosley as New Zealand Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, early next year.

Her main focus is on New Zealand interests with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and on continuing resource build-up to implement the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

“Both organisations play key roles in our work for a nuclear weapons free world. The IAEA administers the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards, which help contain the spread of nuclear weapons.

“The NPT is crucial to these weapons’ abolition. Nuclear weapon states last year gave an unequivocal commitment to elimination of their nuclear arsenals.

“New Zealand has worked long and hard with others to build the CTBT, with its mechanisms of transparency and verification, to end nuclear testing and prevent new types of nuclear weapons.

“Our own part in the CTBT monitoring network is substantial, with six stations in New Zealand and others in the Pacific region,” the Ministers said.

The two-person Vienna team works closely with New Zealand colleagues at New Zealand’s mission in Geneva. From early next year, the Geneva team will be led by Permanent Representative and Disarmament Ambassador Tim Caughley.

Ms Bridge joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade after completing tertiary study here and overseas. Prior to that she worked for Victoria University and other public service organisations.

During her 17 years of work with the Ministry, she has had postings to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, and to the New Zealand High Commission in Ottawa and is currently deputy director of the Ministry’s Australia Division.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

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