Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister, will leave Parliament this week to work on the Christchurch Call.
She will also collaborate with Prince William on a climate change charity that he founded. William, the next in line to the British throne, confirmed Ardern’s position on the Earthshot Prize board, which he chairs.
“Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to four years ago, before The Earthshot Prize even had a name, and her encouragement and advice were critical to the prize’s early success.” “I am extremely grateful that she has joined us,” he said.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins had previously suggested that Ardern would work on the Christchurch Call. As a “special envoy,” she would report directly to the Prime Minister.
Although this would be her post-politics job, Hipkins’ office stated that Ardern would not be paid for it.
“Jacinda Ardern has declined to accept any remuneration as Special Envoy, and will begin her role on April 17,” the statement said.
Ardern launched the Christchurch Call in the aftermath of the March 15 terror attack.
It sought global cooperation from other nations, as well as social media and technology behemoths, to combat the spread of terrorist activity and propaganda online.
The attacks on two Christchurch mosques were livestreamed on Facebook, inspiring other murderers to do the same.
Ardern launched the Christchurch Call summit in May 2019 alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
Since then, more than 120 countries have signed on to the non-binding call to action, promising to take action to limit the spread of violence and terrorism via social media.
“The Christchurch Call is a foreign policy priority for the Government, and Jacinda Ardern is uniquely placed to continue pushing for the goal of eliminating violent extremist content online.”
– Christ Hipkins
Work on the call has included algorithm research and the formation of a multinational emergency taskforce to monitor and remove terrorist content in the event of an attack.
Hipkins said in a statement that Ardern’s global connections and commitment to the Christchurch Call qualified her for the position of special envoy.
“The Christchurch Call is a foreign policy priority for the Government, and Jacinda Ardern is uniquely placed to continue pushing for the goal of eliminating violent extremist content online,” he said.
“With her leadership on the Christchurch Call, Ardern has already made New Zealand and the world a safer place.”
Many in Parliament regard her leadership following the March 15 attack as a watershed moment in her prime ministership.
On Tuesday, even opposition MPs praised her work as a diplomat and globally recognised leader.
The following are the results of a survey conducted by the National Council on the Status of Women in the United States. She did say, however, that Ardern’s government had struggled to make progress on issues other than Covid-19 and responding to the terror attack.
During a Labour caucus retreat in Napier in January, Ardern abruptly announced her resignation. Hipkins was sworn in as Prime Minister less than a week later.
To avoid a by-election, Ardern remained an MP, representing Mt Albert. She is set to deliver her farewell speech on Wednesday, capping off her 15-year tenure in Parliament.
The final parliamentary address is expected at 5.30 p.m. The speech will be streamed live on Stuff.
Ardern has spent little time in Parliament since announcing her resignation.
She returned to the Labour Party caucus meeting on Tuesday. Labour MPs arrived with various gifts and lei to bid Ardern farewell.
She avoided reporters on her way in, except to say she was feeling “great” after her final week in Parliament.
Ardern formally concluded her tenure as Prime Minister on January 25 by meeting with Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.
That morning, she handed over the Beehive to a guard of honour comprised of Labour MPs, staffers, Green Party supporters, and members of the public.
Info source – Stuff