Foreign Minister Murray McCully has appointed diplomat Jane Coombs as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France.

“New Zealand’s relationship with France is one of our most long-standing and vibrant, and it remains an important partner within the European Union,” Mr McCully says.

“Since 2014, we have been jointly commemorating both the 100th anniversary of the First World War and the death of thousands of New Zealand soldiers on French soil.

The history of the 28th Māori Battalion’s D Company will be documented by Harawira Craig Pearless, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry have announced.

Ms Parata, who is also the Chair of the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board, says the A, B, and D companies’ histories are being commissioned to complement Ngā Tama Toa, the C Company history published in 2008.

New Zealand and Viet Nam have launched a $5.4 million initiative to reduce dam related flooding in Viet Nam.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully joined Mr Ha Cong Tuan, Viet Nam’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Ha Noi today to launch the New Zealand-funded five-year project, which will focus on dam safety for the 1000km-long Ca River in Viet Nam.

“New Zealand is sharing its expertise in water engineering and natural hazard management to help Viet Nam address its development challenges,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to Ha Noi today to meet Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and President Tran Dai Quang.

“New Zealand’s relationship with Viet Nam has grown markedly in recent years. Bilateral trade, political engagement and people-to-people connections are all strengthening,” Mr McCully says.

Māori medium national peak bodies Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, Te Rūnanganui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori, Ngā Kura ā Iwi, Te Akatea, and iwi representatives have been given a call to action today as Education Minister Hon Hekia Parata launches a strategy to future-proof Māori medium education.

Educators and iwi gathered at a Hui in Wellington for discussions on Te Rāngai Kāhui Ako ā-Iwi, a framework provided to iwi to ensure the future sustainability of Maori-medium education and build on the recent successes of Māori educational achievement.

Education Minister Hekia Parata today announced three appointments to the Board of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura).

“Te Kura is a fantastic option for distance education, providing personalised learning programmes to students from early childhood to Year 13.

“I am delighted to see Dr Stuart Middleton staying on for a further term, and would like to welcome the newly appointed Ruma Karaitiana and Mele Wendt as members of Te Kura’s Board for terms of three years,” Ms Parata says. 

Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to Hawaii today to meet with senior figures in the United States Pacific Command. Mr McCully will also meet with members of Hawaii’s political leadership, senior academics and opinion makers.

“The US Pacific Command is responsible for US military operations in over half the world’s surface,” Mr McCully says.

Final NCEA results released this week confirm that more students are achieving NCEA Levels 1, 2, and 3, with the most significant increases in achievement being by Māori students and Pasifika students, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

“These latest results are by far the best we’ve seen since we came into Government in 2008, a time when Māori and Pasifika students were struggling, with almost half leaving school without NCEA Level 2.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Education Minister Hekia Parata have welcomed the appointment of Professor Grant Schofield, as the Ministry of Education’s first Chief Education Health and Nutrition Advisor.

“Obesity is a serious issue threatening the health of young New Zealanders, which means some of our kids could end up living shorter lives than their parents,” says Dr Coleman.

“In 2014/15 11 per cent of all children aged 2-14 years were obese. The figures for Maori and Pacific children were 15 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has today released the update of New Zealand’s world leading early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki.

“First published in 1996, Te Whāriki is highly regarded here and internationally as an empowering framework for early learning,” says Ms Parata.

“New Zealand children start their education in quality settings, guided by a curriculum that supports teachers, parents and whānau to have a good understanding of their progress.”

The biggest update to education in New Zealand in nearly 30 years took a step forward in Parliament today.

“The Education (Update) Amendment Bill is about creating a platform for achieving educational success. It puts the achievement of our children and young people at the heart of the education system, and gives us the flexibility to respond to their current and future needs,” says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has launched the first regional tour of an education expo showcasing tools and resources available to Communities of Learning | Kahui Ako.

“For the first time we have brought together all the tools and resources available to support teachers and principals in one expo,” says Ms Parata.

“The education expo first ran at the National Cross Sector Forum in Auckland in March and we received really positive feedback from participants who attended.”

New figures show more than 1100 teachers and principals have been appointed to new roles in Communities of Learning│Kāhui Ako across the country.

“I’m delighted to see staff being employed in these expert roles, sharing best practice across schools, early learning services and tertiary providers to raise student achievement,” says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Eight prestigious tertiary scholarships will be presented to outstanding Māori students by Education Minister and Ngārimu Board Chair Hon Hekia Parata in a ceremony at Parliament today.

The eight recipients – undergraduates Ezekiel Raui, Jack Potaka, Kaahu White, Tekiteora Rolleston-Gabel, Tipene James, and Masters recipients, Ana Montgomery-Neutze, Arena Williams and Maia Wikaira – received scholarships that commemorate Victoria Cross recipient Second Lieutenant Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngārimu, and the soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has today announced that New Zealand has updated its travel advice for Turkey. 

“The advice for New Zealand citizens reflects information received that suggests terrorists may seek to target Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula,” Mr McCully says.

While travel advice for Turkey and the Gallipoli Peninsula has changed, the level of risk remains the same. 

Minister of Education Hekia Parata today announced six appointments to the Ngārimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board.

Ms Parata says the Board has a rich history of providing scholarships to support future Māori leaders in their academic studies, which will continue with the mix of skills the new members bring to the board.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has condemned the bombing in the northwest of Syria where dozens of people have been killed in a chemical weapons attack. 

“I was appalled to learn of another attack in an area where chemical weapons have previously been used,” Mr McCully says.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the victims of this barbaric attack, which is especially horrific for the number of children killed and injured.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully welcomes the Angolan Minister of External Relations Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, who he will meet in Wellington today.

“This visit presents an opportunity to deepen this relationship, including through discussing ways to increase trade flows. Angola had one of the fastest-growing economies of the past decade, and appointed its first ever Ambassador to New Zealand, resident in Singapore, last year,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has today welcomed Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil to New Zealand.

Lebanon is an important partner for New Zealand in the Middle East. During our term on the UN Security Council, we engaged closely with Lebanon on regional issues, including the war in Syria.

Since 1954, New Zealand has contributed to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) which helps maintain peace in the region. The current commander of UNTSO is a New Zealander.

New Zealand and Singapore are to pursue an Enhanced Partnership that will significantly boost collaboration between the two countries, their Foreign Ministers, Hon Murray McCully, and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, announced today

The two Ministers, who met in Wellington today, said the Enhanced Partnership would deepen cooperation in the areas of trade and economics, security and defence, people-to-people links and research, technology and innovation, and in ways that would set an example of integration in the Asia-Pacific region.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today welcomes his Singaporean counterpart Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to Wellington on his first visit to New Zealand as Foreign Minister.

“New Zealand and Singapore share a warm friendship that includes extensive trade and economic links, long-standing defence ties and regional cooperation,” Mr McCully says.

Education Minister Hekia Parata is travelling back from the United Kingdom after sharing New Zealand’s Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako with experts from around the world.

Ms Parata spent five days meeting with leaders, researchers and practitioners in London and Scotland. She also led a New Zealand delegation at the 7th International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) in Edinburgh.

“The Summit was an opportunity to talk with experts from around the world about their efforts to reduce inequities in education,” says Ms Parata.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced that New Zealand will provide $3 million to support emergency famine relief and prevention efforts in Africa and Yemen. 

“More than 20 million people are currently facing famine conditions or severe food shortages across the Greater Horn of Africa, Nigeria and Yemen,” Mr McCully says.

“Droughts in some of these areas have been compounded by conflict and insecurity, giving rise to a very serious humanitarian situation.