Commonwealth Secretary-General New Zealand Candidature

Prime Minister Jenny Shipley today announced New Zealand's nomination of Don McKinnon for the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General.

"Don McKinnon is widely respected in New Zealand and internationally as our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His nomination for the position of next Commonwealth Secretary-General has the wholehearted backing of the Government and the warm support of the wider New Zealand community.

"It is an honour for New Zealand that so many in the Commonwealth have encouraged Don McKinnon to stand. Over the past eight years, he has become a respected and influential Commonwealth leader. The job requires political seniority and Commonwealth experience and Don clearly has those qualifications.

"New Zealand benefits from its membership of the Commonwealth and it is only right that we should also contribute to its future. This is an opportunity for New Zealand to take a leading role in a major international organisation."

"Don McKinnon's candidature is also an opportunity for New Zealand to continue to encourage cooperation between countries of all levels of development to ensure that the interests of small states especially are enhanced and to promote good governance.

"We already have very good levels of support extended to New Zealand's candidature. We will concentrate in the next twelve months on justifying the confidence already expressed in Don and on securing further support," the Prime Minister concluded.

ENDS

Notes:

The Secretary-General position becomes vacant at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in South Africa in November 1999, when Chief Emeka Anyaoku retires after ten years' service. His successor will be appointed for a four year term.

Mr McKinnon oversaw New Zealand's hosting of CHOGM in Auckland in 1995 has been Vice-Chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (appointed by Commonwealth
leaders to scrutinise observance of democratic principles and human rights in a number of member countries) since its inception in 1995 and was appointed to the Commonwealth Small States Ministerial Mission (30 of the organisation's 54 members are classified as small states).

A former senior official from Bangladesh, Farooq Sobhan is the only other declared candidate.

Commonwealth leaders will decide on the appointment by consensus.