Helen Clark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Helen Clark ONZ SSI PC
Clark in 2016
37th Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 10 December 1999 – 19 November 2008
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Michael Hardie Boys Silvia Cartwright Anand Satyanand
Deputy	Jim Anderton Michael Cullen
Preceded by	Jenny Shipley
Succeeded by	John Key
8th Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme
In office 17 April 2009 – 19 April 2017
Secretary-General	Ban Ki-moon António Guterres
Preceded by	Kemal Derviş
Succeeded by	Achim Steiner
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Acting 29 August 2008 – 19 November 2008
Preceded by	Winston Peters
Succeeded by	Murray McCully
27th Leader of the Opposition
In office 1 December 1993 – 10 December 1999
Prime Minister	Jim Bolger Jenny Shipley
Deputy	David Caygill Michael Cullen
Preceded by	Mike Moore
Succeeded by	Jenny Shipley
12th Leader of the Labour Party
In office 1 December 1993 – 11 November 2008
Deputy	David Caygill Michael Cullen
Preceded by	Mike Moore
Succeeded by	Phil Goff
11th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 8 August 1989 – 2 November 1990
Prime Minister	Geoffrey Palmer Mike Moore
Preceded by	Geoffrey Palmer
Succeeded by	Don McKinnon
11th Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
In office 8 August 1989 – 1 December 1993
Leader	Geoffrey Palmer Mike Moore
Preceded by	Geoffrey Palmer
Succeeded by	David Caygill
29th Minister of Health
In office 30 January 1989 – 2 November 1990
Prime Minister	David Lange Geoffrey Palmer Mike Moore
Preceded by	David Caygill
Succeeded by	Simon Upton
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Mount Albert Owairaka (1996–1999)
In office 28 November 1981 – 17 April 2009
Preceded by	Warren Freer
Succeeded by	David Shearer
Personal details
Born	Helen Elizabeth Clark (1950-02-26) 26 February 1950 (age 75) Te Pahu, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Peter Davis ​ (m. 1981)​
Parents	George Clark Margaret McMurray
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Signature

Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician. She served as the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008. She was also the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from 2009 to 2017. Helen Clark was New Zealand's fifth-longest-serving prime minister. She was also the second woman to hold that important job.

Helen Clark grew up on a farm near Hamilton. In 1968, she started studying politics at the University of Auckland. She became very active in the New Zealand Labour Party. After finishing her studies, she taught political science at the university. In 1974, Clark got involved in local politics in Auckland. She was elected to Parliament in 1981. She represented the Mount Albert area until 2009.

Clark held many important roles in the government. These included Minister of Housing and Minister of Health. From 1989 to 1990, she was the 11th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. After her party lost the 1993 election, Clark became the Leader of the Opposition. In 1999, her party won the election. Helen Clark became Prime Minister on 10 December 1999.

Clark led the government for three terms. Her government introduced important programs like Kiwibank and KiwiSaver. They also worked on environmental issues with the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. In foreign affairs, Clark sent troops to the Afghanistan War. However, she did not send combat troops to the Iraq War. Forbes magazine named her the 20th most powerful woman in the world in 2006. Her government was defeated in the 2008 election. Clark resigned as Prime Minister on 19 November 2008.

In April 2009, Clark left Parliament. She became the first woman to lead the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 2016, she tried to become the secretary-general of the United Nations. However, she was not successful. She finished her role at UNDP in April 2017. In 2019, she became the patron of the Helen Clark Foundation.

Early Life and Education

Helen Clark was the oldest of four daughters. She grew up on a farm in Te Pahu, near Hamilton. Her mother, Margaret McMurray, was a primary school teacher. Her father, George, was a farmer.

Clark went to Te Pahu Primary School and Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland. She then studied at the University of Auckland. She focused on politics and earned a master's degree in 1974. As a teenager, Clark became interested in politics. She protested against the Vietnam War. She also campaigned against foreign military bases in New Zealand.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1980, Helen Clark decided to run for Parliament. She wanted to represent the Mount Albert area. She won the nomination against several other people.

Clark was elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in the 1981 general election. She was one of only eight women in Parliament at that time. She became the second woman to represent an Auckland area. In her first speech, she spoke about defence policy and nuclear weapons. She was concerned about the spread of nuclear weapons.

During her first term, Clark joined the Statutes Revision Committee. In her second term, she led committees on Foreign Affairs and Disarmament. In 1983, she became Labour's spokesperson for Overseas Aid and Disarmament.

Cabinet Minister Roles

In 1987, Clark became a minister in the government. This government was led by David Lange, Geoffrey Palmer, and Mike Moore. She was the Minister of Conservation from 1987 to 1989. She was also the Minister of Housing during that time.

In 1989, she became Minister of Health. She also took on roles as Minister of Labour and Deputy Prime Minister. As Health Minister, she made changes that allowed midwives to practice on their own. She also introduced the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990. This law limited smoking in places like workplaces and schools.

As Deputy Prime Minister, Clark led important government committees. These included the Social Equity Committee and the Policy Committee.

Leader of the Opposition

From 1990 to 1993, Clark was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She was also the spokesperson for Health and Labour. After her party narrowly lost the 1993 election, Clark challenged Mike Moore for the leadership. She won and became the Leader of the Opposition on 1 December 1993.

She led the Labour Party against the government led by Jim Bolger and Jenny Shipley. The Labour Party's popularity was low before the 1996 election. Clark's personal approval ratings were also low. However, she survived an attempt by other members to take over her leadership. Labour lost the 1996 election, but Clark remained as Opposition leader. She was praised for doing well in the election debates.

In 1998, during Waitangi Day celebrations, Clark had a disagreement with an activist. This incident was shown on national television.

Prime Minister (1999–2008)

Premiership of Helen Clark
10 December 1999 – 18 November 2008
Elizabeth II
Cabinet	Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
Party	New Zealand Labour Party
Election	1999, 2002, 2005
Appointer	Michael Hardie Boys
Seat	Premier House
← Jenny Shipley • John Key →

Under Helen Clark's leadership, Labour became the biggest party in Parliament from 1999 to 2008. Clark became the second woman to be Prime Minister of New Zealand. She was the first to win the job through an election. She also served as the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.

During her time as Prime Minister, many important government roles were held by women. These included the Governor-General and the Chief Justice. Clark was also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders.

Clark became Prime Minister after a new voting system was introduced. This system, called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP), often led to unstable governments. Clark was good at forming stable coalition governments. She worked with different parties, which helped public support for the MMP system.

Clark was very interested in social issues and international affairs. She strongly supported nuclear disarmament. She also worked to make New Zealand the first ecologically sustainable nation. Her government achieved many important things:

• The Working for Families package, which helped families.
• Increasing the minimum wage each year.
• Interest-free student loans.
• Creating District Health Boards for healthcare.
• Introducing new school qualifications called NCEA.
• Introducing fourteen weeks of parental leave.

Clark's government also oversaw a time of steady economic growth. More people found jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to a very low 3.6% in 2005.

Forbes magazine ranked Clark as the 20th most powerful woman in the world in 2006. By 2008, this ranking had changed to 56th.

First Term: 1999–2002

The 1999 election was a historic moment. For the first time, two women, Clark and Jenny Shipley, led the two main parties. Labour won 49 seats, more than National's 39. Clark formed a coalition government with the left-wing Alliance. Alliance leader Jim Anderton became Deputy Prime Minister until 2002.

In April 2001, Clark met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing. Jiang called her an "old friend." Clark strongly supported China joining the World Trade Organization.

With Paul Wolfowitz at the Pentagon, 26 March 2002

In March 2002, Clark visited the United States. She went to "Ground Zero," the site of the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks. She also met with American officials, including President George W. Bush. Their discussions focused on fighting terrorism.

In June 2002, Clark apologised on behalf of New Zealand for how it treated Samoa during the colonial era. This apology was made in Apia during Samoa's 40th independence anniversary.

The Alliance party split in 2002 over sending troops to the War in Afghanistan. This led Clark to call an early election for 27 July. She was very popular in opinion polls at the time.

Second Term: 2002–2005

Clark won a second term in the 2002 election. Her party gained more votes and seats. Labour formed a coalition with Jim Anderton's Progressive Party. They also had agreements with United Future and the Green Party. Michael Cullen became Deputy Prime Minister.

Clark believed that New Zealand would become a republic in the future. During her time in office, some changes were made that moved in this direction. For example, appeals to the Privy Council in London were stopped. The Supreme Court of New Zealand was created instead.

Clark with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 20 October 2004

In 2003, Clark criticised the invasion of Iraq. She said it did not have a clear United Nations approval. Her government did not send combat troops to Iraq, but they did send medical and engineering teams. Clark's foreign policy focused on promoting democracy, human rights, and disarmament.

In November 2004, Clark announced talks with China for a free-trade agreement. This agreement was signed in July 2008. It was New Zealand's biggest trade deal since 1983.

Third Term: 2005–2008

Clark meets US President George W. Bush at the White House, 22 March 2007

In 2005, Labour and the Progressive Party continued their coalition. They also had agreements with New Zealand First and United Future. Clark became the first Labour leader to win three elections in a row.

On 11 November 2006, Clark attended a service in Hyde Park, London. A monument for New Zealand's war dead was unveiled there. She met Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

On 26 May 2006, Clark sent military help to the 2006 East Timorese crisis.

Clark in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Sydney, 9 September 2007

In March 2007, Clark visited the United States. She met with George W. Bush in Washington. They agreed to work together on foreign affairs and trade.

By the end of her time in office, Clark was seen by some as a strong leader. Her popularity rating changed from nearly 60% in 2005 to 42% in 2008. The economy entered a recession in August 2008.

The National Party became more popular than Labour in opinion polls. John Key became the leader of the National Party in November 2006. In the 2008 election, Key was ahead of Clark in polls for "preferred Prime Minister."

National won the 2008 election. Labour did not have enough support to form a government. Clark accepted defeat and announced she would step down as party leader. On 11 November 2008, Phil Goff became the new leader of the Labour Party.

Life After Prime Minister

with her successor as Prime Minister, John Key, 22 September 2009

Helen Clark was the first Labour Prime Minister to resign as party leader immediately after losing an election. She served as the spokesperson for foreign affairs for a few months. Then, in April 2009, she left Parliament to work for the United Nations (UN).

Leading the United Nations Development Programme

Clark with Australian Prime Minister (and Labour Party leader) Kevin Rudd, 12 February 2010

Clark became the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 17 April 2009. She was the first woman to lead this organisation. She also chaired the United Nations Development Group. This group includes the heads of all UN funds and programs that work on development.

New Zealand strongly supported her nomination. Other countries like Australia, Pacific Island nations, and the United Kingdom also supported her. The General Assembly confirmed her appointment on 31 March. She was sworn in by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 27 April 2009. Forbes magazine ranked her as the 23rd most powerful woman in the world in this role.

Clark wearing hijab in Tehran during a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, 4 August 2013

In 2013, Forbes ranked her as the 21st most powerful woman. This was after she was appointed for a second term at UNDP. She was the only New Zealander on the list.

Clark was known for her strong leadership style. She worked to make UNDP more transparent. The Publish What You Fund campaign ranked UNDP as the most transparent aid organisation in 2015 and 2016.

In February 2015, Clark visited Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. She went to show support for those fighting the spread of Ebola. During her time, the number of women and men at UNDP became equal.

On 26 January 2017, Clark announced she would not seek another term as UNDP Administrator. She said it was an "honour and privilege" to have served. She left UNDP on 19 April 2017.

Trying to Become UN Secretary-General

Clark at the United Nations General Assembly, July 2016

In January 2014, there was talk that Clark might become the next UN Secretary-General. This would happen after Ban Ki-moon retired in 2016. She said it would be interesting if there was enough support for her leadership style. Prime Minister John Key said New Zealand would support her bid.

On 4 April 2016, Helen Clark officially put her name forward. She said she was running as the best candidate, not just because she was a woman.

In October 2016, secret votes were taken. Clark finished fifth. Her attempt was stopped when three permanent members of the Security Council voted against her.

A documentary film about Clark's bid, My Year With Helen, was released in February 2018.

Work with the World Health Organization

On 9 July 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Clark as co-chair of a panel. This panel reviewed how the WHO and governments handled the COVID-19 pandemic. She worked with former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The panel's final report was published in May 2021. It said that the pandemic could have been prevented if countries had acted faster. Clark said that "so many countries chose to wait and see."

Personal Life

Then Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand (left) pictured with Clark and her husband, Peter Davis, on the occasion of Clark's investiture as a Member of the Order of New Zealand, 17 February 2010

Helen Clark was raised as a Presbyterian. She attended Sunday school every week. When she was Prime Minister, she described herself as an agnostic.

She married sociologist Peter Davis in 1981. This was shortly before she was elected to Parliament. Davis is a professor in medical sociology at the University of Auckland.

Clark enjoys hiking and mountaineering. In August 2008, she and her husband were on a hiking trip. Their guide, Gottlieb Braun-Elwert, sadly died from a suspected heart attack.

Views and Positions

Israeli–Palestinian Conflict

During the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, Clark spoke about aid to UNRWA. This is a United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. She criticised countries that stopped funding UNRWA. This happened after allegations that some UNRWA workers were involved in an attack. Clark said it was "most regrettable" to stop funding without knowing the investigation's results.

AUKUS Defence Pact

In April 2024, Clark commented on New Zealand's interest in AUKUS. This is a security agreement between Australia, the UK, and the US. She said New Zealand's foreign policy was changing too much. She believed New Zealand had always balanced its economic interests, democratic values, and independent foreign policy. She was concerned about the country getting involved in geopolitical conflicts.

Awards and Honours

• In 1986, Clark received the annual Peace Prize from the Danish Peace Foundation. This was for her work in promoting peace and nuclear disarmament.
• In 1990, she received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.
• In 1993, Clark was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.
• In 2002, she received the Nuclear-Free Future Award. This was for making New Zealand a leader in the movement to remove nuclear weapons.
• In 2005, the Solomon Islands government gave her the Star of the Solomon Islands. This was for New Zealand's help in restoring order there.
• In January 2008, Clark won the United Nations Environment Programme Champions of the Earth award. This was for her government's work on sustainability.
• In April 2009, she received an honorary law degree from the University of Auckland.
• In 2010, Clark was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand. This is New Zealand's highest honour.
• She was recognised as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013.
• In September 2017, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards.
• In December 2017, she was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
• In June 2024, she received an honorary law degree from the University of St Andrews.

Patronage

• Clark is the patron for The Helen Clark Foundation.
• She is an Honorary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
• She was the patron of the New Zealand Rugby League from 2002 to 2011. She has also been the patron of the Mount Albert Lions rugby league club for over 20 years.

Images for kids

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  Clark in 2016

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  Helen Clark's signature

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  With Paul Wolfowitz at the Pentagon, 26 March 2002

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  Clark with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 20 October 2004

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  Clark meets US President George W. Bush at the White House, 22 March 2007

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  Clark in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Sydney, 9 September 2007

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  with her successor as Prime Minister, John Key, 22 September 2009

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  Clark with Australian Prime Minister (and Labour Party leader) Kevin Rudd, 12 February 2010

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  Clark at the Welsh Assembly, 17 April 2012

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  Clark wearing hijab in Tehran during a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, 4 August 2013

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  Clark at the United Nations General Assembly, July 2016

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  Then Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand (left) pictured with Clark and her husband, Peter Davis, on the occasion of Clark's investiture as a Member of the Order of New Zealand, 17 February 2010

See also

In Spanish: Helen Clark para niños

• Electoral history of Helen Clark
• List of Nuclear-Free Future Award recipients
• Politics of New Zealand
• List of heads of government that have visited the South Pole