New Zealand Triggers Un Safety Convention

New Zealand has triggered the entry into force of an important international convention protecting United Nations personnel, Foreign Minister Don McKinnon announced today.

The Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, intended to protect UN staff working in dangerous environments, automatically came into effect today, 30 days after New Zealand became the 22nd UN member to ratify it.

Mr McKinnon said New Zealand's part in bringing the Convention into force was especially satisfying as it was first proposed by New Zealand during its presidency of the UN Security Council in 1993.

"New Zealand started and led the search for a strong legal mechanism to protect UN personnel, and we can all take pride from the fact that, six years later, it is New Zealand's ratification which has now brought the Convention into effect," Mr McKinnon said.

"The UN is increasingly being called on to undertake peacekeeping duties, and to deliver humanitarian relief and other services, in unstable or hostile situations.

"The Convention is a significant legal advance in tackling the growing number of deaths and injuries resulting from deliberate attacks in such situations. It imposes on all UN members a duty to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel by criminalising violent attacks on them."

The Convention imposed a tough 'prosecute or extradite' regime, and offenders had to be extradited to other States for prosecution if they were not brought to trial in the State in which they were found, Mr McKinnon said.