UN aviation security resolution a 'bandage' - McCully

UN aviation security resolution a 'bandage' - McCully

New Zealand has chaired a meeting of the United Nations Security Council that has passed a resolution to beef up civil aviation security.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson say it means all countries will need to raise screening standards, although Mr McCully did not know if it would mean practical changes at New Zealand airports.

"More than 99 percent of our international visitors arrive by air, and around 15 percent of our exports are transported by air," Mr McCully told the UN. "The security of international civil aviation is therefore of vital importance to my country."

Mr McCully did say it would affect small Pacific nations, who would face extra costs - but it "does not make sense to expect the same systems and approach from Tuvalu as we do from the United States".

He also said beefing up aviation security was only a "short-term bandage", and reiterated New Zealand's call for reform of the UN.

"The far greater challenge lies in addressing the conditions that motivate and enable those who commit these acts of terrorism. In this respect we need to reflect on the effectiveness of this body which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

"The Security Council’s track record of delivering sustainable resolution of major conflicts is poor… Major improvements to the United Nations machinery, including this council, are well overdue."

Newshub.