McKinnon to Chair Biological Weapons meeting in New York

  • Don McKinnon
Foreign Affairs and Trade

Foreign Minister Don McKinnon is to chair a meeting on biological weapons (23 Sept NY time) while he is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting brings together ministers from a wide range of countries and is intended to give impetus to international negotiations on a verification system for the Biological Weapons Convention.

"New Zealand is a strong supporter of the Australian high-level initiative to reinvigorate the negotiations," Mr McKinnon said.

"I was pleased to accept the invitation to Chair the meeting, organised by Australia, in the absence of Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer."

While in New York Mr McKinnon will also attend a Friends of Cambodia meeting and a meeting on Myanmar.

The Friends of Cambodia group reflects the commitment of the international community to Cambodia.

"We helped oversee the elections in July," Mr McKinnon said.

"We now want to see the parties settle their differences on the outcome and form a new Government which can bring a return to political stability and economic development."

The meeting on Myanmar follows an initiative taken at the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference in July, in Manila, by Mr McKinnon to convene a delegation to seek answers from the Government of Myanmar on human rights issues.

"We will be discussing what action countries can take to help encourage the restoration of full political and human rights to the people of Myanmar,"he said.

"We also want to see a dialogue between the opposition led by Aung San Su Kyi and the military Government."

On Friday (NY time) Mr McKinnon will deliver New Zealand's statement to the General Assembly.

During the General Assembly, Mr McKinnon will hold bilateral meetings with a number of other foreign ministers. He will call on the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, with whom he will discuss a broad range of issues includingBougainville, Myanmar and Nigeria.

Mr McKinnon arrived in New York this morning. He returns to Wellington on Sunday 27 September.