Key to address UN General Assembly

NEW YORK - Prime Minister John Key will today (10am Saturday NZ Time) address the United Nations General Assembly for the first time and will push New Zealand's message on climate change and anti-nuclear policy.

Mr Key has held dozens of bilateral meetings during his week in New York garnering support toward a New Zealand initiative to set up a world-wide virtual network to conduct research into reducing emissions caused by agriculture and food production.

The United States has indicated it would back it financially and other countries such as Brazil and India - both of which have high agricultural emissions - supported it.

Mr Key said New Zealand was in a good position to advance the idea.

"We've spoken to quite a lot of leaders, as soon as we've raised that with them they've expressed interest in joining. They can see that the world has to feed a lot more people and do it in a more environmentally way."

The UN Security Council - chaired by a US President for the first time and with all five permanent members present - passed a resolution yesterday to reduce the number of nuclear weapons.

Mr Key said the world had caught up with New Zealand, which passed the Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act in 1987.

However, the use of nuclear power would increase as countries sought energy without creating excessive emissions.

New Zealand did not need to consider that avenue, Mr Key said.

"No I don't believe we will. I think it's part of the New Zealand's DNA. It speaks about who we are and what we believe in and it ties back to the sort of brand that New Zealand has, that we are clean and we are green."

New Zealand's 6pm time slot on a Friday evening will likely mean few of the 160-plus leaders here will be present but his messages will be relayed to those who are interested.

- NZPA