Kiwi Will Raise Pacific Disarmament Issues In UN Role
(Stuffnz.co)
A prominent Christchurch anti-nuclear campaigner appointed as a disarmament adviser to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says she will use the post to raise the profile of Pacific Island issues, reports Stuff NZ .
Dr Kate Dewes is understood to be the first New Zealander to be appointed to the 19-strong UN panel, which includes ambassadors and officials from countries as diverse as China, South Korea and the United States. Dr Dewes said she was honoured by the appointment and had been informed in a letter from the UN chief just before Christmas.
“It is exciting. It is a real honour and a huge responsibility,” she said. “Issues from the Pacific often aren't raised in a forum like that. There are the ongoing effects of nuclear testing in our region, which is important. There is the issue of small arms.
“Even with the whole issue of cluster munitions we need to ensure that Pacific Island nations are going to participate in the conference in Wellington.”
The New Zealand Government would be hosting a major international conference next month as the next step in negotiations to ban cluster munitions.
A prominent Christchurch anti-nuclear campaigner appointed as a disarmament adviser to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says she will use the post to raise the profile of Pacific Island issues, reports Stuff NZ .
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“It is exciting. It is a real honour and a huge responsibility,” she said. “Issues from the Pacific often aren't raised in a forum like that. There are the ongoing effects of nuclear testing in our region, which is important. There is the issue of small arms.
“Even with the whole issue of cluster munitions we need to ensure that Pacific Island nations are going to participate in the conference in Wellington.”
The New Zealand Government would be hosting a major international conference next month as the next step in negotiations to ban cluster munitions.
Dr Dewes is co-ordinator of the Peace Foundation Disarmament and Security Centre in Christchurch and is a former lecturer at Canterbury University. She played a leading role in the New Zealand peace movement during the 1970s and early 1980s, which succeeded in securing the world's first national nuclear-free legislation.
