Ardern to continue as New Zealand terror envoy

The Call, a foreign policy initiative of New Zealand and France, brings together tech companies and countries to decrease online communications that might lead to terrorism.

It was named after the 2019 terror attack in Christchurch by an Australian man which killed 51 worshippers.

Ms Ardern, NZ's prime minister from 2017-2023, took on the non-paying envoy role after leaving office to continue promoting the body.

She was expected to leave the role after the election of a right-leaning government late last year however, Prime Minister Chris Luxon revealed on Tuesday he had asked her to extend her term.

"We caught up in Auckland, the two of us," he said.

"I wanted to understand the Christchurch Call on the work that it has undertaken ... there's been some good work done with respect to algorithms with tech companies."

Mr Luxon said his government would look to take the Call "to the next level" and in the meantime, Ms Ardern would stay.

"I asked her to carry on and she was very happy to do so," he said.

Ms Ardern, who has eschewed publicity since leaving office, was recently married to long-time fiance Clarke Gayford in a ceremony in Hawke's Bay.

Australian Associated Press