Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully is to travel to New York today to seek support for New Zealand's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Mr McCully is to deliver a speech at the opening of the 67th UN General Assembly, which he said is an "opportunity to project our voice on international issues that directly affect us and our Pacific neighbours".
"It is also an opportunity to seek support in our campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council and promote our credentials as an independent, fair-minded country committed to international peace and security," Mr McCully said.
Spain and Turkey are also seeking election for the two seats open to the grouping known as 'Western Europe and others'. The vote is in 2014.
While in New York, Mr McCully will also hold meetings with a number of bilateral ministerial counterparts and regional organisations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the African Union.
