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McCully earns applause at UN council

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McCully earns applause at UN

3News NZ

Foreign Minister Murray McCully addresses the 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York (Reuters)

Foreign Minister Murray McCully addresses the 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York (Reuters)

Foreign Minister Murray McCully earned a round of applause at the United Nations when he accused the Security Council of rapidly losing credibility over the Syrian conflict.

He told the General Assembly New Zealand is frustrated by the lack of action as the bloodshed continues.

Stephen Hoadley from Auckland University says McCully made an effort to be diplomatic.

“New Zealand’s been v careful not to mention China or Russia or even the United States or any of the Arab countries, not to mention any particular national leaders like Bashar Al Assad. Some diplomatic caution has moderated what could have been a lot more inflammatory, a lot more accusatory speech.”

New Zealand is competing against Spain and Turkey for a seat at the Security Council in 2014.

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Comments

1/10/2012 10:49:23 p.m.

abraham wrote:

i follow us politics and have done for many years , i can not be leave if the president bungled and blundered around his economy getting worse and worse with the cost of living only going up would never get re elected so why in nz did we re elect failure on many fronts ?.

1/10/2012 12:27:06 p.m.

Alex wrote:

told what to say by the united states, no doubt.

1/10/2012 12:22:14 p.m.

Greg wrote:

The UN is pretty much now in the same situtation as the league of Nations circa 1930's remember them. They dithered over Spain while fascism became the darling of the capitalist world recession rebuild. The middle east has sucked enough wealth out of the west while at the same time knifing it in the back. They want a pan arabia then they should sort it out.

1/10/2012 11:47:39 a.m.

vines wrote:

why are we not allowed to comment on the tens of millions of dollars getting this seat will cost new zealand , why are we not allowed to talk about that media ?tens of millions for something thats for the governments ego we get nothing because we are a tiny dot nation .what a waste of tens of millions of dollars its just a fraud on the tax payers .

1/10/2012 11:29:29 a.m.

sam wrote:

McCully a joke and to put him front of the world is just sad

1/10/2012 8:39:01 a.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

QUOTE: "Foreign Minister Murray McCully earned a round of applause at the United Nations when he accused the Security Council of rapidly losing credibility over the Syrian conflict. He told the General Assembly New Zealand is frustrated by the lack of action as the bloodshed continues." BIG HOORAY FOR MURRAY MCCULLY. I bet all the leaders of the 23 Arab States would clapping their hands with glee listening to Murray basically saying the UN shoud have just charged into Syria to sort things out. I will state it again "SYRIA IS AN ARAB PROBLEM", right in the middle of Arabia and should be sorted out by the 23 oil rich Arab States that belong to the Arab League, who have COURAGEOUSLY to date have hidden behind the petticoats and aprons of the UN - hoping they will send in a force to fix their problem. Money, arms and people would be no problem for the Arab League - only a real committment to assisting their Arab brothers & sisters being systematically slaughtered by the Assad Murdering machine. A UN Force be made up of mainly non-muslim people and would be blamed by the Arab League of not respecting Arab culture if anything went wrong. I would OBJECT to NZ sending people into help Syria and risking their lives when the Arab League members have displayed quite clearly that they do not want to risk ANY ARAB LIVES in Syria. The (Invisible) Arab League states should fix the Syrian problem and gain some self respect in the world, as they sure havent earned any to date. Yes Mr McCully you are playing right notes into the Arab Leagues ears and you can guarantee that you have their full support. I personally hope that either Turkey or Spain beats NZ for a useless seat on the UN Security Council.

1/10/2012 7:54:54 a.m.

Siena wrote:

Kiaora. McCully's oration to the UN council, impressed me greatly. A typical shoot from the lip, Kiwi response...Tell it how it is and as he said, New Zealand has and is still paying their dues. I concur with him on the issue of the use by those (countries names withheld), on that VETO vote. It should only become applicable when there is an obvious threat to member countries' National Security. There is hope for Murray McCully yet, I am not so sure about his Boss though.