Dame Alcyion Cynthia Kiro ; née Simpson; born 1958) is a New Zealand public-health academic, administrator, and advocate, who has served as the 22nd governor-general of New Zealand since 21 October 2021. Kiro is the first Māori woman and the third person of Māori descent to hold the office.

The resignation of Jacinda Ardern as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party was announced on 19 January 2023, at a press conference given by Ardern at the War Memorial Centre in Napier, Hawke's Bay. Ardern, who had been in office since 2017, cited occupational burnout as the primary reason for her resignation. She stated that she "no longer had enough in the tank" to fulfil the demands of the premiership, and that she would not be seeking re-election at 2023 New Zealand general election. She also expressed hope that she would spend more time with her family, and that she had left behind a legacy that one "can be kind, but strong" and "your own kind of leader – one that knows when it’s time to go."