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Jacinda Ardern has been making waves since becoming New Zealand's prime minister nearly a year ago.

She's the youngest premier in a century in a half in the country, and one of just three women to ever hold the post. Ardern is only the second sitting head of government to give birth while in office (after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto). And, following the arrival of her daughter, Neve, she took six weeks maternity leave, handing the business of governing to her deputy.

Now it's little Neve's turn to make history. At just three months, she is said to be the youngest person to ever attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

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, flew out to New York with her partner, Clarke Gayford and Neve, delivering a speech on Monday night at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, with Neve nestled in the front row.

Gayford posted a photo on Twitter of Neve's security pass, which read "first baby."

 he says, "I wish I could have captured the startled look on Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change."

https://twitter.com/NZClarke/status/1044252770268672000

Ardern tells The Guardian, "I have the ability to take my child to work, there's not many places you can do that. I am not the gold standard for bringing up a child in this current environment because there are things about my circumstances that are not the same."

A new rule in New Zealand allows any government minister with a baby to travel with a nanny or caregiver at government expense. Even so, Ardern told 

, that she doesn't expect taxpayers to foot the bill for Gayford's travel while he cares for Neve.

"There is no spousal programme for this, so we just made a judgement call that we would cover his travel for this trip. He will be going to some things, but he's primarily traveling to care for Neve," she tells the Herald.

Whether or not Neve will make more appearances at other official events in New York isn't known. Ardern told the Herald, they were "playing it by ear."

Politics and Government News

Dina Kesbeh

Author

Jacinda Ardern arrived in New York with her three-month-old daughter, Neve, who has become the first-ever infant to attend the annual gathering of member nations.

New Zealand prime minister's baby makes history at U.N. General Assembly

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