Presentation by:

Amanda Ellis
New Zealand Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs for International Development

Thursday, April 18, 2013, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
B1 Conference Center
Pacific Forum 1800 K. St. NW, Washington, DC 20006

Please RSVP to [email protected].

In 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully signed the Wellington Declaration, establishing a new strategic partnership between the United States and New Zealand. New Zealand’s development program has a strong focus on the Pacific Islands region – with a mission to stimulate sustainable economic development. Last year, New Zealand, China and the Cook Islands announced a partnership that will deliver improved water systems to Rarotonga, the capital of the Cook Islands.

At the same time, New Zealand has a long history of contributing to the regional and global security, including through participation in such peace support operations as the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan and the Sinai. It is New Zealand’s commitment to both the multilateral system and global security that has led it to pursue a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2015-16.

As New Zealand’s Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs for International Development, Amanda Ellis heads New Zealand’s development program. She was also recently appointed as New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva. She will speak about New Zealand’s development program, including its role in the Pacific Islands region, as well as about New Zealand’s campaign for the UN Security Council. Her presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.