Peters warns of 'chequebook diplomacy' during speech to UN

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has called for greater political will over the Middle East and reinforced New Zealand's commitment to the Pacific region in his keynote speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mr Peters told the assembly, in the speech delivered this morning New Zealand time, that events of the past year had shown the world would be substantially worse without the UN.

The UN was passing through a period of challenge to its relevance and effectiveness, and had confronted serious political and security shocks in the Middle East, Darfur and in Timor-Leste, he said.

"Last year, world leaders agreed to an ambitious reform agenda based on peace and security, development, and human rights. Progress has been made but we must press on for much remains to be done."

Mr Peters said the challenge of development had never been higher on the international agenda, nor had the need to eradicate poverty been so critical.

"Increasing aid levels will not be enough. We must become more effective. We need to make sure that every dollar spent makes a positive difference.

"That means addressing the key threats to our success: poor governance, corruption, and gender inequality. We need to secure fairer international trading relationships. And we must work on these together."

Mr Peters said New Zealand had a commitment to the Pacific Islands Forum goal of a "region that is respected for the quality of its governance, the sustainable management of its resources, the full observance of democratic values and for its defence and promotion of human rights".

Mr Peters said they were ambitions goals and translating them into reality meant hard work by all Pacific countries.

"This is a challenge we accept.

"New Zealand is determined to seek out the benefits of the Pacific's significance and guard against the threats -- among which I include chequebook diplomacy."

Mr Peters said it was a sad reality that the situation in the Middle East had been on the UN agenda since its formation 60 years ago.

"The lack of sustained political will to see through more than a handful of decisions on the Middle East has undermined confidence. It has contributed to an unstable environment where extremism, injustice and despair flourish."

Those issues had to be tackled with new resolve, using the international, multilateral system as a tool for peace and progress, he said.

Mr Peters criticised the action of the Sudanese government for blocking the introduction of a UN force into Darfur.

The UN had played a key role in Timor-Leste's independence, but its presence would be required there for many more years, he said.

Mr Peters praised UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and welcomed UN reforms but said there was more work to be done by member states.

"New Zealand wants to see continuing reform high on the list of priorities for this 61st session to ensure that the United Nations can be as responsive as possible to the needs of Member States, and efficient in getting the best from the resources available to it.

"New Zealand is a country that engages with the United Nations with no hidden agenda. Those who do so pervert and weaken this organisation.

"We will continue to put our efforts behind the principles and policies that will make the United Nations strong."

- NZPA