Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you Chair.
My name is Lucy Duncan, New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva and Ambassador for Disarmament.
And I am Kerry Nickels, President of the New Zealand Red Cross and an Asia Pacific Region elected member on the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Governing Board.
Ambassador Duncan and I are the heads of New Zealand’s Government and National Society delegations at this conference.
Our joint participation, including Ambassador Duncan’s Chairing of Commission I, as well as our statements and pledges, are a demonstration of our shared view that the Movement, and its foundational principles, must be respected and fiercely protected. It is also a demonstration of New Zealand’s enduring commitment to upholding IHL.
The Movement, as the world’s largest humanitarian network, provides impartial assistance to millions globally. We assist in peacetime, for example during public health emergencies, after disasters, and during armed conflict.
New Zealanders know that when disaster strikes, the Red Cross is there to help. We provide support alongside local communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. We have also invested in communications and other equipment, and continue to work with communities so they can be self-reliant and self-determining in future emergencies.
This is critical as our region – the Pacific – is one of the most disaster-prone in the world. We are facing more intense and frequent extreme weather events as a result of climate change.
Accordingly, in the Pacific, the New Zealand Red Cross and Government jointly partner with Pacific Islands’ National Societies, to support timely, effective and locally-led disaster response and preparedness. This includes flexible funding to deploy New Zealand Red Cross delegates and other resources..
New Zealand has a proud legacy in supporting the development and implementation of International Humanitarian Law. As stated by our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, at an event marking the 75th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions in August, “the idea of universal rules, of doing the right thing, has long been at the core of New Zealand’s national identity and the way that we act in the world.”
New Zealand’s Report on the Domestic Implementation of IHL was launched at that same event, fulfilling a pledge made at the 33rd International Conference. Our national Report is a tangible contribution towards the shared goal of building a global culture of respect for IHL.
Progress towards this goal is sorely needed. Across the globe, armed conflict is on the rise. Respect for the Geneva Conventions is increasingly frayed. We must come together to reaffirm our commitment to IHL, support the institutions that uphold it, and demand that it is fully respected in all conflicts.
It is only by demanding respect for these fundamental principles – fully, impartially, and consistently - that we can honour our common humanity and fulfil the promise of this Movement.
New Zealand is also a strong advocate for disarmament and arms control. The priorities in our recently updated Disarmament and Arms Control Strategy are well-linked to this Conference’s agenda.
These include:
- Continuing our active pursuit of nuclear disarmament;
- Defending IHL and promoting the protection of civilians; and
- Progressing effective multilateral rules and limits on autonomous weapons systems.
To close, President Nickels and I would like to recognise those Movement members, humanitarians, medical workers, and journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. They, and the people they assist, are protected under IHL, and these obligations must be upheld.
Over the course of this week both the New Zealand Government and National Society representatives have reinforced these messages. We will continue to uphold our obligations under IHL and to turn our pledges into action to alleviate suffering and defend the rights of those in need.
Thank you.