Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern comments on her New York visit.
Jacinda Ardern's day in New York started off as one of peace and harmony but within hours the Prime Minister found herself eclipsed by baby Neve and that most pernicious of events — news from home.
The first was welcome — Neve was taken into the General Assembly with father Clarke Gayford to watch Ardern speak in the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.
Suddenly all eyes — and cameras — were on Neve as Ardern spoke about the impact Mandela had on New Zealand.
Much fuss has been made about Ardern herself taking on the roles of mother and PM.
But Neve proved to be diplomatic gold. The media at the front gate were entranced to see her arrive in a stroller with her mum and dad.
Photos from the General Assembly hall included ones of Neve being cradled and kissed by Ardern.
In another Neve sat with a hilariously grumpy face on Gayford's knee, possibly not happy mum was up on stage banging on about world peace when there was feeding to be had. It prompted one Twitter user to ask if Trump had just walked in.
The images quickly spread in the media and on social media.
Samantha Power, a former US Ambassador to the UN under former President Barack Obama, tweeted them saying "I cannot stress how much the @UN - and the governments that comprise it — need this."
Even the spokesman for the UN, Stephane Dujarric, issued a comment on Neve's presence, saying the UN was delighted to see her.
"Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her country than a working mother. Just 5 per cent of the world's leaders are women, so we need to make them as welcome here as possible," she said.
Gayford tweeted image of Neve's UN security pass. Photo / Supplied
Happily for Ardern, Neve also eclipsed the second interruption to Ardern's day, which was much less welcome.
Ardern is not the first Prime Minister to find her international outing interrupted by news breaking at home and in Ardern's case it was Derek Handley's decision to release all his texts and emails with Ardern.
It was more extensive communication than Ardern had led people to believe.
Ardern did just what many before her had done and resorted to arguing her case on a technicality.
Every leader at the UN will be facing problems back home, so it will have done little to tarnish Ardern's star in New York. She still has a string of speeches, television appearances and meetings ahead — including her first statement to the General Assembly on Friday morning.
Images of baby Neve with Clarke Gayford and Jacinda Ardern at the General Assembly were social media gold. Photo / AFP
But it served to detract attention back home from her time on the world stage.
Her night ended at a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump, a man whose political approach she has been obliquely standing against since she arrived and whom she said she would neither seek out nor ignore.
As for New York, Neve was an enjoyable distraction for a day before the main act begins.
Today all eyes will be on someone somewhat less cute: Trump, who delivered his much anticipated statement to the UN General Assembly early this morning.
What now?
Overnight : PM had an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. US President Donald Trump delivered his address to the General Assembly.
This morning: PM meets actress and UN goodwill ambassador Anne Hathaway.
Tonight: Trump chairs Security Council meeting, Ardern speaks at business summit and climate change summit.
