Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with H.E. Mr. John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand

The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. He underlined his appreciation for New Zealand¡¯s leadership and its active role in the work of the United Nations, especially in the areas of environment and sustainable development, human rights and democracy, and women and gender as well as disaster response and preparedness. The Secretary-General briefed the Prime Minister on his visits to the Solomon Islands and Kiribati.

The Secretary-General expressed again his condolences for the February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. He was encouraged by the way New Zealand responded to the disaster, and expressed his hope that the country would share its disaster response and preparedness efforts and lessons-learned with other Member States and partners in the Pacific region.

The Secretary-General also outlined his priorities for the second term and expressed his hope that UN-New Zealand cooperation would continue to be strengthened in all areas.

The two leaders also exchanged views on women¡¯s empowerment and regional issues, including the Middle East and North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Fiji. They also discussed the forthcoming Pacific Islands Forum Summit.