E ngā rau rangatira mā, e kui mā, e koro mā, e huihui mai nei i tēnei wā, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai rā ki Te Whare o te Kāwana Tinara o Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
I’d like to specifically acknowledge: James Bushell, United Nations Association of New Zealand National President; Joy Dunsheath, National Executive Committee Member; Ishant Ghulyani, President of the UNANZ Wellington Branch; Dr Stephen Rainbow, Chief Human Rights Commissioner; Professor Gail Pacheco, Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner; Dr Melissa Derby, Race Relations Commissioner; and Hemi and Paula Pirihi, of the Human Rights Commission.
And to all of our very special guests, including those members of our diplomatic corps here this evening – tēnā koutou katoa. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to Government House Wellington for this evening’s reception marking the 80th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter.
As Governor-General, I am proud to serve as Patron of the United Nations Association of New Zealand – recognising the work that you do to help New Zealanders understand and engage with the United Nations, and uphold those values embodied by the United Nations and enshrined in its Charter: of peace, fairness, and cooperation.
Of course, New Zealand has a long and proud history of involvement with the United Nations. We were there, in San Francisco, at the organisation’s outset – playing an active role in the drafting of its founding document, and ensuring that smaller nations would always have a voice. And in the years since, we have used that voice – speaking up for those principles of multilateralism and humanitarianism to which we remain staunchly committed.
Though the role of the United Nations has expanded and evolved significantly since 1945, it remains a place where the world’s nations can gather, share perspectives and experiences, listen to one another, and seek solutions for the benefit of all humanity. If we are to meet the challenges of the future – of rising temperatures, radical technological advancements, economic instability – it is the simple truth that we cannot do it alone.
Looking back over these past 80 years since the signing of the UN Charter, the world has faced many dark and difficult moments – and continues to do so. History shows us again and again that humanity will always be lured by power and greed – and that there will always be those motivated in words and action by intolerance and hate. But at its very core, the United Nations stands as a testament to the very best in us: the goodness of what we share, and the possibility of a world in union.
It was former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld who said: ‘The United Nations is based on faith in humankind, in our possibilities and in our ability to rise to our greatest potential. It is built on the belief that the world is not a mere bog in which we sink and disappear, but a place where we can walk upright, in freedom, in dignity, and in peace.’
In my role as Governor-General, I am fortunate to meet New Zealanders across the country doing remarkable things, and putting the needs of others above their own. Above all, I am inspired by those young people I meet, filled with such energy and optimism, who so clearly see that we are all bound together: that our society’s wellbeing, and the wellbeing of our planet, is contingent on the wellbeing of us all.
My thanks, once again, to the United Nations Association of New Zealand, and to all in attendance here this evening – including youth representatives – for the work you do to uphold those fundamental ideals of the UN, and your steadfast belief in a better, more peaceful and prosperous world. I wish you all the very best for the future.
Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.