The Prime Minister addresses an audience at the Oxford Union Debating Chamber, England, 22 years after the historic nuclear-free debate involving Prime Minister David Lange. Below is the relevant extract.

…Another key priority for us on disarmament is tackling the great harm being caused around the world by cluster munitions. New Zealand has learned through the work of our defence forces of the terrible effects unexploded cluster munitions can have on the lives of communities trying to rebuild after war. At this very moment our second team of ordnance experts is working in Southern Lebanon to help remove up to a million remnants of these weapons.

Now we have joined a small group of countries, led by Norway, to push for the negotiation of a new international treaty on cluster munitions. Once concluded, we hope that such a treaty would provide clear rules on cluster munitions. We want to prevent communities suffering in future from the indiscriminate, unreliable, or inaccurate use of these weapons.

Next February we will host an international negotiation conference in Wellington where we anticipate substantial progress being made towards the conclusion of a new treaty.

New Zealand is committed to continuing its work on nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, as a contribution to a safer world. …

Rt Hon Helen Clark, Prime Minister, 1 October 2007 - New Zealand’s Foreign Policy

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