1st LD Writethru: New Zealand nominates Helen Clark for United Nations secretary-general: PM

The New Zealand government is nominating former Prime Minister Helen Clark for the position of United Nations secretary-general, Prime Minister John Key said Tuesday.

Clark, 66, served as prime minister on a government led by the center-left Labour Party from 1999 to 2008 and has been the first woman administrator of the UN Development Programme since April 2009.

"Having served as the prime minister of New Zealand for nine years and held one of the top jobs in the United Nations for the past seven, Helen Clark has the right mix of skills and experience for the job," Key said in a statement.

"There are major global challenges facing the world today and the United Nations needs a proven leader who can be pragmatic and effective," he said.

"Coming from New Zealand, Helen Clark is well placed to bridge divisions and get results. She is the best person for the job."

Clark had a vast amount of experience in international affairs which would be hard for other candidates to match, Key said.

"She's a great listener and communicator, and I know she will make a difference if elected," said Key.

Clark served three successive terms as New Zealand's second woman prime minister.

She is generally thought to have maintained New Zealand's independent foreign policy, notably resisting calls to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The new secretary-general will be appointed at the end of the year by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the UN Security Council.

New Zealand currently holds a temporary seat on the Security Council. Endit