Advancing the 2030 Agenda Programme

The 2023 United Nations Association of New Zealand will hold its national conference - Advancing the 2030 Agenda - on Thursday 28 September.

Due to potential disruption at Parliament, our conference will now take place online. This decision was made in the interest of public safety and based on security advice received.

While we won't be able to gather in person on this occasion, we have an excellent programme lined up to be delivered virtually.

Programme

1:00 pm Welcome

• Karim Dickie, UNA NZ President

1:10 pm Keynote address

• Dr Sir Ashley Bloomfield KNZM

Sir Ashley was New Zealand’s Director-General of Health from June 2018 to July 2022 and led the country’s health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

1:40 pm Panel 1: Countering disinformation and rebuilding trust in institutions

Chair: Karim Dickie, UNA NZ President

• Paul Thompson, Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief, Radio New Zealand
• Dr Michael Daubs, co-director of The Internet, Social Media, and Politics Research Lab - Kotaha - at Victoria University of Wellington
• Eva Hartshorn-Sanders, Director Hartsheba Limited and previously from the Classification Office and the international NGO Center for Countering Digital Hate

2:15 pm Panel 2: Reforming the United Nations

Chair: Karim Dickie, UNA NZ President

• Carolyn Schwalger, New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York
• Colin Keating, former New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York
• Dr Scott Sheeran, International lawyer and human rights expert

2:50 pm Break

3:10 pm Keynote address

• Dr Alan Bollard

From 2012 to 2018 Dr Bollard was the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat based in Singapore, the world’s largest regional body that promotes trade, investment and sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining APEC, Dr Bollard was the Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand from 2002 to 2012. He is currently Professor of Practice at Victoria University of Wellington.

3:40 pm Panel 3: Ensuring Human Rights and Democracy

Chair: Martine Udahemuka, UNA NZ Wellington Branch President

• Ibrahim Omer, Member of Parliament; Deputy Chairperson of the Education and Workforce Select Committee and a Member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee.
• Suzanne Manning, President of the National Council of Women of New Zealand
• Vanisa Dhiru, Communication and Information Commissioner, UNESCO New Zealand National Commission

4:15 pm Panel 4: Building international peace and security

Chair: Pat Metham, UNA NZ Member of National Council

• Mary Wareham, Arms Advocacy Director – Human Rights Watch
• Rebecca Dudley, Principal Advisor, International Humanitarian Law, for New Zealand Red Cross
• Dr Kennedy Graham, Global Law and Governance Programme, New Zealand Centre for Global Studies

4:50 pm Panel 5: The climate challenge          

Chair: Gaya Paranisamy, Immediate Past President UNA NZ

• His Excellency Mr Edgardo Valdes Lopez, Ambassador of Cuba to New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue
• Sophie Hanford, Paekākāriki - Raumati Ward Councillor at Kāpiti Coast District Council
• Karim Elhassan, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt to New Zealand

5:25 pm Panel 6: United Nations for New Zealand

Chair: Karim Dickie, UNA NZ President

• Damian Cardona Onses, Director – United Nations Information Centre for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific
• Joy Dunsheath MNZM JP, WFUNA Executive Committee Member
• Hayden Montgomerie, Country Manager – New Zealand, United Nations Global Compact

5:45 pm Special address

• His Excellency Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization

5:50 pm Closing address

• Karim Dickie, UNA NZ President