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The New Zealand prime minister is the first world leader to bring her baby to the UN - and the internet can't get enough

Sep 26, 2018, 01:09 IST

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holds her baby before speaking at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the UN General Assembly.Carlo Allegri/Reuters

  • Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, brought her newborn baby to the United Nations General Assembly - becoming the first ever world leader to do so.
  • Ardern's partner, Clarke Gayford, traveled with her to New York to help care for the three-month-old.
  • Photos of the leader with her baby are making an impact online.
  • Ardern received praise from leaders like former US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made history on Monday evening when she became the first world leader to attend the United Nations General Assembly with her newborn baby.

Ardern, only the second elected world leader to give birth while in office, brought her infant baby Neve to the gathering, where she held the three-month-old before delivering a speech at the Nelson Mandela peace summit.

While Ardern was speaking, her partner Clarke Gayford, who traveled to New York on the family's dime to help care for Neve, held the baby on his lap. Gayford is a stay-at-home dad, and the couple has spoken candidly about their experience parenting while in office.

"What I consistently acknowledge is that I have assistants who help Clarke with the ability to juggle his career and be our primary caregiver," Ardern told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday. What has struck me is the number of men and women who have said 'We do the same thing.' There's a lot of discussion ... And we need to normalize that, too."

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See baby Neve at the UN:

Sinéad Baker contributed to this report.

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern sits with her partner, Clarke Gayford, baby Neve, and several aides during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Ardern kisses baby Neve before delivering a speech to the General Assembly.

Gayford holds baby Neve as Ardern speaks at the UN.

Ardern listens to UN proceedings while holding baby Neve.

Ardern delivered her speech at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit at the UN on Monday evening.

One fan urged the creation of a "baby UN."

This story is important because:
1. This should be the norm
2. The presence of a child may help politicians keep things in perspective
3. A reminder that we need a baby UNhttps://t.co/IzBbJHmyTT

— Cameron Williams (@MrCamW) September 25, 2018

In June, the 38-year-old prime minister became the first-ever world leader to take maternity leave while in office.

"I credit the women who came before me and credit New Zealanders for welcoming me having a child," Ardern said. "Positivity outweighed negativity. I'm proud of the nation."

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