The Rt Hon Donald C McKinnon (New Zealand) was elected Commonwealth Secretary-General at the November 1999 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, South Africa. He assumed office on 1 April 2000.

This appointment follows a long and distinguished political career in New Zealand. Since being elected to Parliament in 1978, Mr McKinnon was Deputy Prime Minister from 1990 to 1996 and New Zealand's longest serving Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1990-99). He has held a number of other senior posts within the Government, including Leader of the House of Representatives (1992-96), Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Minister of Veterans' Affairs and Associate Minister of Defence.

Mr McKinnon also held the positions of Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Expenditure and Control, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Subcommittee responsible for investigating State Sector spending and accountability. He was Chief Whip for seven years prior to joining the Cabinet.

Mr McKinnon became a member of the Privy Council in 1992.

As New Zealand Foreign Minister, Mr McKinnon developed close Commonwealth links, at both governmental and non-governmental levels. Following its inception in 1995, he served as the Deputy Chairperson of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration (CMAG) until 1999. He chaired the Commonwealth Small States Meeting at the Auckland CHOGM in 1995, and was appointed to the five-member Commonwealth Ministerial Mission on Small States in 1998.

During his term as Foreign Minister, Mr McKinnon initiated a number of actions:

He campaigned for and saw New Zealand elected to a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council. He promoted the deployment of New Zealand peacekeepers in a number of countries. He developed the Asia 2000 programme which eventually evolved into the Asia 2000 Foundation. He promoted the Institute for Strategic Studies based in Wellington. He oversaw a significant increase in real terms in the New Zealand Aid Programme.

He has also been widely credited with successfully brokering a ceasefire and renewed political dialogue between Bougainvilleans and the Papua New Guinea Government. This dialogue was initiated by Mr McKinnon in 1995, and it led to a breakthrough in 1997, which has been sustained to the present day.

As Commonwealth Secretary-General since April 2000, Mr McKinnon has been closely involved with the development as well as implementation of the report of the High Level Review Group which examined the role of the Commonwealth in the 21st century. This report has, inter alia, resulted in new governance arrangements for the Commonwealth Secretariat as well as new priorities and mandates for the organisation. He has spearheaded an effort to make the Secretariat more efficient and cost-effective, enabling it to be responsive to the needs and interests of the member countries.

Under Mr McKinnon’s leadership, the Secretariat has sought also to build strategic partnerships with other international organisations, as well as synergies with civil society, in pursuit of the values and objectives of the Commonwealth.

Mr McKinnon’s work with leaders and member governments has been wide ranging, but he has taken particular interest in a number of areas:

• enhancing economic opportunities for Commonwealth member states, especially through greater market access in trade, debt relief and technical assistance transfers;

• particular recognition of the vulnerabilities, concerns and needs of small states;

• promoting Commonwealth youth and education programmes;

• actively supporting the Commonwealth's 'Good Governance' initiatives; and

• promoting greater effectiveness and efficiency in Commonwealth institutions.

Mr McKinnon married Clare de Lore, a journalist, author and public relations consultant in 1995, and they have a son, James, born in 1998.

Mr McKinnon was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from Lincoln University in 1999 and received the New Zealand 1990 Commemorative Medal. In July 2002, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the four universities of Manchester. He holds two honorary Matai (chiefly) titles from Samoa.