Clark: Financial crisis no excuse for aid cutbacks

Helen Clark starts her new job on April 20. Photo / Greg Bowker

MPs gave former prime minister Helen Clark a standing ovation in Parliament today and party leaders lined up to compliment and congratulate her after it was confirmed she would be the new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) head.

Prime Minister John Key was the first to speak in Parliament, saying Miss Clark was taking up the third-highest position in the UN.

"Helen Clark should be very proud of her achievement and New Zealanders should be very proud of her," Mr Key said.

"She will be working to help establish democracies, reduce poverty, improve health care, help in crisis prevention and recovery and assist with environmental issues."

Mr Key said Miss Clark would face formidable challenges at a time when developed countries were financially stretched and developing countries were in great need.

"In other words the UNDP needs someone who can front for them, mobilise resources and give the organisation a human face," he said.

"In appointing Helen Clark they have endorsed someone they believe is capable of that task."

Earlier today Clark said her priorities will be getting the most value for every aid dollar and ensuring donor states do not cut their commitments because of the world financial crisis.

Helen Clark was unanimously approved by the 192-member UN General Assembly to head the agency that oversees a global development network with an estimated $13 billion in resources.

"For a start we have to ensure that the donors ... the Western countries who donate, don't drop back on commitments," Clark told National Radio in her first interview since her appointment was confirmed.

"You look at the multiple crises the world is facing ... whether it's the international recession, the climate change challenge, the fuel and energy crises, the water crises, the food crisis ... imagine what it feels like to be a very poor developing country. It is agony," she said.

The financial crisis "is knocking the bottom out of what was a barely livable income in any case," she said.

The former prime minister - from 1999 to 2008 - gained unanimous approval from the 192-nation General Assembly.

The UNDP oversees a global development network with an estimated US$13 billion ($23.12 billion) in resources. It operates in 166 nations.

Clark will replace Kemal Dervis, a former Turkish Cabinet minister, and will start her new job on April 20.

She had personal backing for the post from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whom analysts said chose her because she could bring high-level contacts and a politician's persuasiveness to the job at a time when aid donations would be sure to come under pressure.

Ban's spokeswoman Michle Montas said Clark, was one of the world's longest-serving democratically elected women leaders, "will bring a strategic perspective coupled with fresh thinking and impetus for change."

The job has previously been held by officials with expertise is development rather than politics or diplomacy, and Clark said what it needed now was someone "well networked internationally, someone used to advocacy and putting the case."

"The key thing is to try and get the best value for money, aid effectiveness and trying to sort out organizational clutter," Clark said.

Helen Clark this morning said she had had a lot of big moments in her life, including winning her first election and winning one as prime minister.

"I guess this is another of those moments," she said.

"But actually, the sort of sense of 'gee, golly, gosh' is almost immediately replaced by 'there's an awful lot of things to do'."

That included sorting out the salary, terms and conditions, getting a UN passport and changing visa status for the United States as the job is based in New York.

She said she was not daunted by the enormity of the job "but I know there is a tremendous number of things to get on top of very, very quickly".

"I'm very diligent and I'll just get on with it."

Helen Clark said it was up to the Government to name a date for a by-election in her Mount Albert seat but she believed it would be in June.

"It really depends on whether I'm going to get away exactly on time and the UN system has to really jump hurdles for that to happen," she said.

"But it would be very difficult for it to be before the budget so I would be thinking that June would be a more likely time.

- NZPA