If they are not hard at work in their Beehive offices, our Ministers will be busy with engagements here and there around the country – or engaged in very important business overseas.
Sometimes we learn where they have been and what they were doing after they make public announcements on their return home.
The Point of Order monitor of Beehive statements in the past week gives these pointers to ministerial globe-trotting …
16 NOVEMBER 2018
New Zealand deepens connections with Peru at APEC Leaders’ Week
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today signed an air services agreement with his Peruvian counterpart, Néstor Popolizio, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Week in Port Moresby.
The agreement sets out conditions under which air services may be operated between New Zealand and Peru, including routes that can be flown and capacity (frequency and aircraft types) that may be offered.
Peru’s plans to reopen its Embassy in Wellington next year.
New Zealand and Peru will strengthen trade and economic ties when Peru ratifies the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. Peru has also supported New Zealand’s goal to have a free trade agreement with the Pacific Alliance.
New Zealand now has air services agreements in place with all 20 of its APEC partners. These pave the way for flights and code-share services that open New Zealand’s access across the Asia-Pacific region.
17 NOVEMBER 2018
International Declaration on Biodiversity
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage, attending the Convention on Biological Diversity High Level Segment in Sharm El-Sheikh, joined New Zealand to the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration adopted in Egypt on 15 November.
The declaration focuses on the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity across relevant sectors of the economy, with a particular emphasis on energy and mining, infrastructure, and manufacturing and processing, as well as health.
The meeting of the parties to the Convention, which continues over the next two weeks, will establish a pathway towards the adoption in 2020 of a new global biodiversity plan.
Check out the declaration text here.
18 NOVEMBER 2018
New Zealand announces further support to Pacific Horticultural and Market Access Plus programme
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will contribute $13.5 million over four years to support the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Plus programme, a new joint New Zealand–Australian initiative.
PHAMA Plus will target select export products of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other Pacific Island countries such as Niue and Cook Islands, and help producers, processors and exporters improve their productivity, quality of production, and capacity to meet export market biosecurity requirements. Agricultural, forestry, fishery and handicraft products will be initially targeted for support under the scheme.
PHAMA Plus complements other Pacific agriculture initiatives supported by MFAT, including a dairy programme in Fiji, a cocoa programme in Samoa, a vanilla programme in Tonga and a fresh produce programme in PNG.
18 NOVEMBER 2018
New Zealand joins partnership to expand access to electricity in Papua New Guinea
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced at APEC in Papua New Guinea New Zealand will contribute towards Papua New Guinea’s ambitious National Electrification Roll-Out Plan to connect 70% of households to electricity by 2030.
She made the announcement alongside other partners in the project – US Vice President Pence, Australian Prime Minister Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Abe and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister O’Neill – during APEC Leaders’ Week.
18 NOVEMBER 2018
New Zealand assists with Papua New Guinea vaccinations programme
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced that New Zealand is committing up to NZ$10 million towards improving vaccination outcomes in Papua New Guinea.
He made the announcement during the official opening of the St John Ambulance Operations Centre in Boroko, which was built with the support of New Zealand Government funding.
Point of Order 