The former New Zealand prime minister is being lauded around the world for her determination to place the rights of women firmly in front of global lawmakers, daring them to defy her programme.
Miss Clark announced her plans three months after she failed in her bid to land the UN’s top job — which again went to a male, former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres.
When a head of a prominent world non-governmental organisation (NGO) was interviewed by New Zealand media, he expressed the disappointment of many when he lamented the failure of UN members to appoint Miss Clark as secretary-general.
Miss Clark has headed the UN Development Programme for the past seven years. The 66-year-old wrote a message to staff saying she was leaving on April 19 at the conclusion of her second four-year term.
"These are times of change across the UN system," she wrote.
Making progress on sustainable development goals must continue unabated.Those goals include ending poverty and taking action to combat climate change.Miss Clark was one of 13 candidates who last year competed to replace Ban Ki-moon, whose 10-year tenure as UN secretary-general ended in December. Despite the best efforts of the New Zealand Government, Miss Clark never gained much traction in the race. The no-nonsense approach Miss Clark takes to any issue was never going to wash in the UN, an organisation that is becoming increasingly irrelevant at a global level. It is people such as Miss Clark, and another former Labour leader, David Shearer, who make a difference at levels below those held by Mr Guterres and his supporters. In an interesting coincidence, Miss Clark and Mr Shearer both represented Mt Albert, a seat now likely to be won by Labour’s Jacinda Ardern.
Mr Guterres begins his term with the organisation facing hostility from US President Donald Trump.
Last month, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: "The United Nations has such great potential but right now it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!"
There will be much speculation about what the future holds for Miss Clark. She is too talented not to take on another major challenge after dragging the UN to the forefront of women’s rights. She rightly pointed out that in many poorer nations women suffer from inequality and often, because of family duties, work much harder and longer than men. When people complain about inequality in New Zealand, they should take note of the speeches Miss Clark made during her term at the UN.
No doubt, there will be some in the Labour Party anxious for Miss Clark to return to New Zealand to campaign during the election this year. However, those same people would be wise to remember how tightly Miss Clark held the party. When she suddenly resigned, Labour went through a period of turmoil, selecting and discarding several leaders while, at the same time, watching its popularity decline. The party has also shifted its core beliefs significantly since she left.
What could possibly excite Miss Clark is the chance to head an NGO which focuses on her passion of helping women achieve great things.
During her interview for the top UN job, she said her life had been spent around breaking glass ceilings herself in the hope other women would also pass through the shattered shards to take their positions as full and equal participants in societies, politics, economies. Using her considerable range of talents, her wide list of global contacts and, more importantly, her absolute belief in the right for all women to be treated equally, Miss Clark has plenty of time left to make a real difference in the lives of millions.
