Middle East, island states top New Zealand agenda for UN Security Council

New Zealand is to use its month- long presidency of the United Nations Security Council to advance the Middle East Peace Process and to highlight challenges facing small island developing states, Prime Minister John Key said Thursday.

"As president, New Zealand will have a central role in guiding council consideration of key international security issues," Key said in a statement on the start of the presidency Thursday.

"A particular focus will be the peace and security challenges confronting small island developing states, including many of our Pacific neighbors," he said.

"Such states rarely have the opportunity to be heard on the range of challenges they face, so we are ensuring the meeting on this issue will be open to all UN members so they can address the council themselves."

Foreign Minister Murray McCully would travel to New York this month to chair the council.

"We will also look to further efforts to jumpstart negotiations on the Middle East Peace Process and focus on bringing more transparency to the way the council deals with the issues it is confronted with," said Key.

The council would also remain focused on dealing with global crises, such as the conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Libya.

New Zealand takes over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of July. Endi