World Heritage Convention Committee Meeting

Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and Sign Language.

Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and (Sign)

Greetings: Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark; Paramount Chief of Ngati Tuwharetoa and Chairman of the World Heritage Committee, Tumu te Heuheu; Members of the World Heritage Committee; Distinguished UNESCO officials including National Commission Chairperson Dame Silvia Cartwright, New Zealand Ministers of the Crown, Members of Parliament and Mayors; Distinguished Delegates.

It is a great pleasure for my wife Susan and myself to be here today to officially open the 31^st session of the World Heritage Committee's annual meeting.

I am especially pleased to officially open this annual meeting in Christchurch - a beautiful, historic city which is currently celebrating its own heritage with a Week of that name.

In every New Zealand setting, whoever speaks ought first to establish a place to stand before the audience. 

In that regard, I speak today first as the country's Governor-General. For those unfamiliar with New Zealand's version of political independence and Parliamentary democracy, I shall refer soon to what this role means and its relevance in this setting.

Secondly, I speak as a New Zealander with a strong personal view about preserving and enhancing our nation's cultural and environmental heritage.

For while we are a comparatively young country, when it is considered how many years this landmass has been inhabited, we have a rich heritage drawn not only by our time here in New Zealand, but by the many people who have come to New Zealand from other shores.

Each of our stories, drawn from many parts of the world, contribute to a unique heritage in this Pacific setting.

It brings to mind a saying of tribes from the Aotea canoe, which came to New Zealand from ancient Hawaiki.  It serves to emphasise the importance of acknowledging and retaining your heritage.  As it is said in Maori:

"E kore e ngaro te kkano i ruia mai i Rangitea." "The source of life derived from far off Rangiatea (in ancient Hawaiki) will never die."

This year is the first time in the last 20 years that a World Heritage Committee meeting has been held in our part of the world, the Pacific. This vast and sparsely-populated region, which spans one-third of the globe, has been said to be under-represented on the World Heritage list.

That alone appears to be a very good reason for hosting this meeting in New Zealand.

World Heritage is important to our country.  In spite of our many social and environmental advantages, we too are faced with the challenges of a changing climate, depleting fisheries and water resources and declining eco-systems.

In this changing physical environment, it is imperative to remember the cause of sites within the broad Pacific region which possess 'outstanding universal value', and that the importance of preserving these sites for the future is recognised.

With this background then, allow me to speak briefly on New Zealand.

I mentioned earlier about speaking as Governor-General. This effectively means I am the representative in our country of England's Head of State, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. However, this is not an executive role and I am not responsible for the day-to-day running of our country. That is the preserve of the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark, who will speak shortly, and the government she leads.

I mention the Office of Governor-General, however, because its tradition has its roots in New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi which was signed between the British Crown and Maori chiefs in two languages - Maori and English - on 6 February 1840.

This agreement between two very different people, representing a common goal to live together peacefully and productively, is a unique agreement.

The Treaty of Waitangi continues to hold great relevance in our country today and is recognised throughout our country's legislation, and by our people as one of the most important historical documents to have shaped the nation we are today.

For this reason, and others, the site where the Treaty was signed, at Waitangi in the far North of New Zealand, is among places that have been investigated for possible or eventual World Heritage nomination.

New Zealand has three World Heritage sites currently. Our nation is committed to seeing this number increased, as part of our participation in the World Heritage convention.

I am advised this may be one of many other issues of importance you will be discussing over the next week. I understand that the Sydney Opera House, in Australia, is also among places within the Pacific region to be considered for World Heritage designation.

To emphasise the important international nature of this gathering I am also told the ongoing integrity of sites such as Jerusalem and the Galapagos have been raised as areas of concern.

I wish you well in your deliberations and I encourage you to take the opportunity while you are here to discover some of New Zealand's unique heritage.

I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages.  May I close in Maori, with what I believe may be a relevant whakatauki, or proverb:

"Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua."

"Care for the land, care for the people, go forward."