Foreign Minister Winston Peters explained that Wellington does not see a significant contribution in joining the body in its current form, although it will continue to monitor developments.
New Zealand reaffirmed its support for the United Nations multilateral system and stressed that any initiative must align with Security Council resolutions.
The scope of the initiative proposed by Trump has raised concerns worldwide about a possible overlap with the work of the UN.
With this decision, the island nation joined France, Norway, and Croatia, which also rejected the invitation to join the council, while other states maintain reservations without explicitly stating their position.
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