The serious problems facing the world today will never be solved until women are able to use their full potential on behalf of themselves, their families, and their global and local communities, as the World Bank and others have discovered

By and large, women in New Zealand are fortunate compared with some other countries, including many in our own region. But there is still progress to be made.

Equality and development will not be achieved however if peace is not understood from women's' point of view.

New Zealand's taken some very significant decisions in relation to defence in the last two years.

I can't for the life of me see that by being permissive you actually assist anyone.

NGOs have a significant role to play, alongside governments, in improving the status of women.

On many occasions New Zealand has spoken about the need to ensure that women's concerns are fully integrated into all aspects of the United Nations' activities and structures, not marginalised in one part of the Secretariat.