Top Japanese honour for Helen Clark
Former prime minister Helen Clark has been invested into Japan’s Grand Cordon of the Order Of The Rising Sun – one of the highest decorations the Japanese Government can bestow.
At his residence in Wellington yesterday, Japan’s ambassador to New Zealand, Toshihisa Takata, held the investiture ceremony to conduct Clark into the order. Japan’s Government offered the award in recognition of her work to strengthen the links between New Zealand and its country.
In front of dignitaries including former prime ministers Jim Bolger and Sir Geoffrey Palmer, as well as diplomat and public servant Sir Maartin Wevers, Clark was also recognised for her work in strengthening ties between Japan and the United Nations Development Programme, when she was administrator of that organisation.
Clark has returned to New Zealand over the Christmas break from her new role on one of world’s leading drug policy reform think-tanks, the Global Fund.
She said she was ‘‘deeply honoured’’ to receive the award.
Her ties with Japan pre-dated her work as a public figure, she said, before recounting a ‘‘Japanese youth goodwill cruise’’ in January 1975, as one of 15 young New Zealanders travelling by boat to Japan.
‘‘What I came to appreciate through my time in the public service is what an incredibly important partner Japan was to New Zealand,’’ Clark said.
Japan had been a ‘‘tremendous force for peace and development’’.
The ambassador said during Clark’s time in Parliament, she contributed to ‘‘the deepening of diplomatic ties and understanding towards Japan in New Zealand’’.
The award also recognised her UN work on issues such as poverty reduction and sustainable development.
The Grand Cordon of the Order Of The Rising Sun was the highest category of decoration in the order, which was established in 1875.