New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Helen Clark was awarded the highest honour in the country.
Former PM with NZ Governor General
She now works as head of the United Nations development programme in New York, but she’s back in New Zealand to receive two big awards – and will even return to Parliament.
Government House in Auckland’s leafy suburb of Epsom is a long way from the high rise jungle of New York – but this morning one of the world’s most powerful women was back to the city she calls home to receive an award only 20 living New Zealanders can possess: The Order of New Zealand.
Clark has now been head of the UN development programme for 10 months – in which time the UN has faced one of the biggest humanitarian crisis in recent history with the Haitian earthquake.
“I actually got in the ground in Haiti within four-and-a-half days,” she said. “The UN secretary general actually chartered a flight which we went down on, so I got to see the tragedy first hand.”
The former PM keeps up with New Zealand politics on an almost daily basis.
This morning’s award marks the start of a big week for the former Prime Minister; this evening she will return to the university she graduated from almost 35 years ago to receive an honorary doctorate – the University of Auckland.
It’s then down to another old stomping ground – Parliament – to face a select committee, before celebrating her 60th birthday with friends this weekend.
3 News
