Models for Regional Governance for Pacific Island States

Friday 25 May 2007

Good morning. A very warm welcome to Christchurch – Otautahi – the largest city of the South Island and the 2nd largest in Aotearoa – New Zealand.

It’s a privilege for our city to host so many eminent academics and practitioners in international affairs. A special welcome to the Pacific leaders who are here tonight and to everyone who has travelled great distances and also to Charles Chauvel, who is representing the Prime Minister this evening.

The names that have been given to our City, Christchurch and Otautahi – reflect our bi-cultural tradition. Christchurch comes from a college at Oxford University, UK.

Otautahi comes from the Ngai Tahu Chief, Tautahi, who lived on Banks Peninsula and liked to stay, from time to time, on the banks of River Avon. History has reversed this trend and today Christchurch has become the centre of commerce and residents like to take their recreation on Banks Peninsula.

Christchurch is a vibrant multicultural city. We have 340,000 residents and some 8% are Maori and another 3% are Pasifika, which means one tenth of the city’s population has a Pacific ethnic identity. We like to celebrate our diversity with festivals such as Culture Galore and an Inner City Multi Cultural Festival.

Your theme of governance is one that strikes a chord with me. Good governance starts with effective use of resources.

Through good governance Christchurch has nurtured its resources and is the second largest provider of social housing in NZ behind Housing NZ. We have kept ownership of its major infrastructure for the benefit of the people of the city with majority ownership in its strategic assets. The city now owns air, sea and data ports.

I am proud to be one of the seven International Vice Presidents for the Mayors for Peace movement, representing Oceania. The Mayors for Peace is a Program to Promote the Solidarity of Cities toward the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. This proposal offers cities a way to transcend national borders and work together to press for nuclear abolition.

Well governed prosperous societies are one of the foundation stones to a peaceful world.

I wish your conference well and I now call upon the distinguished Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Roy Sharp, to say a few words.

ENDS