New Zealand to Help Small States at United Nations
24 February 1997
New Zealand will make a regular contribution of US$75,000 to the running costs of the Joint Office for Commonwealth Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York, it was announced today. Belize, Dominica, The Gambia, Grenada, Maldives, St Lucia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands and Western Samoa all use the Joint Office.
The funding announcement was made jointly by New Zealand Foreign Minister Don McKinnon in New York and by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, in London.
"I welcome the announcement by the Government of New Zealand pledging a regular contribution of US$75,000 to the Joint Office for Commonwealth Permanent Missions to the United Nations. It underscores New Zealand's continuing support for the Commonwealth in general, and for the Joint Office in particular, and its hope that other small Pacific Island states would be among those taking advantage of an expanded Joint Office facility. I commend the Government of New Zealand for this generous gesture," Chief Anyaoku said.
The New Zealand pledge follows Commonwealth-wide appeals by the Consultative Group on Small States at its meeting in London on 31 October 1996 and by the Commonwealth Secretary-General for increased contributions to help maintain the Joint Office. It is an important element of the Commonwealth's programmes of assistance to small states and a commendable example of Commonwealth co-operation.
Note to Editors: The Joint Office for Commonwealth Permanent Missions to the United Nations was established in 1983 on the initiative of Australia, and was expanded in 1988. It houses the Permanent Missions to the UN of nine Commonwealth small states of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The Office is administered by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Participating governments are each allocated core space for the exclusive use of their Permanent Mission, and common services are provided to them on a reimbursable basis. Currently, the Joint Office functions on a cost-sharing arrangement whereby participating governments meet 10 per cent of the costs and three donors - Australia, Britain and Canada - meet equally the remaining 90 per cent.
97/06 24 February 1997
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