AAP FACTCHECK – Jacinda Ardern has never worked for the World Economic Forum (WEF) and her damehood was not in recognition of contributions to the “globalist agenda”, despite claims circulating on social media.
The New Zealand government has confirmed the honour was awarded for “services to the state”, including NZ’s response to COVID-19, attempts to tackle child poverty and her actions following the Christchurch terrorist attacks.
The former NZ prime minister has also confirmed she has never worked for the WEF.
Now aged 44, Ms Ardern received her damehood from Prince William on October 16, as reported by Stuff. The event came more than a year after she was made Dame Grand Companion of the NZ Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday Honours in June 2023.
The October 16 royal event at Windsor Castle sparked bogus claims on Facebook about why Ms Ardern had been honoured and where she now works.
The claims include a screengrab from an article published by The People’s Voice, a website repeatedly debunked by AAP FactCheck.
The article features several falsehoods and provides no evidence to support its claims.
The headline reads: “Prince William Honors Jacinda Ardern with Damehood for Contributions to Globalist Agenda.”
In the story, it’s claimed she is a full-time adviser for the WEF and that the damehood is in recognition of “rolling out the globalist agenda” in NZ and for her “recent work with the World Economic Forum in Davos”.
The article also says Ms Ardern was “removed from office by an irate New Zealand electorate in 2022”. She was not removed by the electorate – she resigned in January 2023.
Ms Ardern’s official damehood citation makes no mention of either recognising work for the WEF or of furthering or implementing a globalist agenda.
Instead, it states that she was awarded “for services to the state”, which included “New Zealand’s response to the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attacks” and “positioning New Zealand as having one of the lowest COVID-19 related death rates in the Western world”.
A spokesman for NZ’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed to AAP FactCheck that the citation published on its website was official.
“Dame Jacinda’s appointment was included on the King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours List 2023,” the spokesman said. “The published citation is the official summary of the reasons for recognition.”
A spokesman for Ms Ardern told AAP FactCheck he could confirm “that Jacinda Ardern has never worked, or undertaken any paid or unpaid consultancy work, for the World Economic Forum”.
Ms Ardern and Prince William have previously appeared together on a WEF panel in Davos – World Health Matters in January 2019, as reported by RNZ.
She was also part of the WEF’s Forum of Young Global Leaders in 2015.
The WEF is a frequent subject of disinformation, as is Ms Ardern’s claimed link with the organisation.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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