New Zealand to discuss Commonwealth reforms at leaders meeting

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully left Tuesday to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Western Australia, and preparatory meetings aimed at reforming the international organization. McCully is to attend the foreign ministers meetings and represent Prime Minister John Key at the leaders meetings. "It will be an important meeting for the Commonwealth as it debates what reforms are needed to be more effective," said McCully in a statement. "The Commonwealth can also make a useful contribution to the Pacific. Since New Zealand is currently the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, I will brief Commonwealth leaders on the outcome of our recent successful meeting in Auckland," he said. He would hold meetings with Caribbean and African Commonwealth members, as well as with the European Union. He would also meet with Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman to sign a Joint Commitment for Development to set out the priority areas for New Zealand's aid and development effort in Vanuatu. British Prime Minister David Cameron British Prime Minister has cancelled a visit to New Zealand ahead of the CHOGM to attend a European Council meeting on Wednesday in Brussels to discuss the growing European debt crisis in the Eurozone. The visit would have been on Wednesday and Thursday and would have included talks with Key and a visit to Christchurch, where at least 181 people died in earthquake in February. At this year's biennial CHOGM, which convenes from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30, leaders from the Commonwealth's 54 member nations will discuss issues around the theme "Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience."