INSTITUTE NOTES

National Office and branch activities

On 14 October in Auckland the National Office helped to organise an event titled ‘Doubling New Zealand exports by value: focus is key,’ featuring a talk by Minister for Trade Todd McClay, and a Q & A facilitated by Sarah Salmond, a partner at MinterEliisonRuddWatts, which provided the venue. The event was coorganised by the NZIIA, MinterEllisonRuddWatts and the Helen Clark Foundation

At the end of October the NZIIA published a special report International Politics in the Pacific: Navigating Geostrategic Competition by Auckland University’s Associate Prof Guy Fiti Sinclair. The report synthesises insights from fifteen experts in Pacific international politics convened at the NZIIA Pacific Symposium early in 2024. It considers how international politics, including geostrategic competition, are affecting the Pacific and how New Zealand, Pacific countries and regional institutions can respond to this in the best interests of the region. It was launched in Wellington on 14 November with an expert panel that included Sinclair, Associate Prof Anna Powles (Massey University), Dr Iati Iati (Victoria University of Wellington) and Esala Nayasi, deputy secretary general, Pacific Islands Forum (attending virtually). Caren Rangi ONZM (a Cook Islands. accountant, former public servant and company director) moderated proceedings. (An article outlining Sinclair’s findings is to be found elsewhere in this issue.)

The NZIIA’s next national conference will be held on 12 June 2025 on the theme ‘Prosperity: Security: Values. New Zealand Foreign and Trade Policies in Contested Spaces’ at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre.

On 29 October the foreign minister of The Bahamas, Hon Frederick A. Mitchell, gave a presentation in Auckland on ‘Small State Diplomacy: Climate Change, Democracy and Security’. (His remarks can be found elsewhere in this issue.)

Christchurch

On 27 November HE Neeta Bhushan, high commissioner of India to New Zealand, addressed the branch as part of an end of year celebration.

Hawke’s Bay

The branch heard addresses by Prof Paul Spoonley, emeritus professor at Massey University, and Simon Tucker, director of global sustainability, stakeholder affairs and trade at Fonterra, on 8 and 21 November respectively.

Nelson

On 23 October Dr Christopher Pugsley ONZM addressed the branch on ‘Where Does New Zealand Stand With Their Security Arrangements and Their Partners?’

Palmerston North

On 28 November HE Viktor Vavricka, ambassador of Switzerland to New Zealand, gave a presentation on ‘Small Advanced Economies' Success Factors: Insights from Switzerland’. Following the ambassador’s talk, Mark Oldershaw (executive director of UCOL) and Jerry Shearman (chief executive of CEDA) joined him for a panel discussion moderated by Scott Haumaha (chief executive of SME Collective).

Wairarapa

The following meetings were held:

19 Oct HE Harinder Sidhu AM (Australia’s high commissioner to New Zealand), ‘A Partnership in Action’.

21 Nov Colin Keating (former diplomat and secretary of justice).

Wellington

On 2 October, in conjunction with the Centre for Strategic Studies, the branch held a lunchtime meeting at which HE Arto Haapea, Finland’s ambassador to New Zealand (based in Canberra) spoke on ‘Finnish Perspectives on European Security and the Indo-Pacific’. In the evening the branch again joined the CSS, and the Netherlands embassy, in convening a meeting with General (ret) Tom Middendorp (former Netherlands chief of defence and chair of the International Military Council on Climate and Security), who spoke on ‘The Nexus Between Climate Change and Security’ and his book The Climate General

On 3 October Prof Todd Belt (George Washington University, Washington DC) addressed the branch on ‘The State of the 2024 Election in the United States’.

On 4 October, the branch co-organised a Peace Symposium with a dialogue on ‘Challenges to Peace in Turbulent Times’ at the Beehive Banquet Hall at Parliament. The keynote speakers were former prime minister Rt Hon Helen Clark ONZ and Prof Kevin P. Clements from the Toda Peace Institute hosted by Ingrid Leary MP.

On 31 October the branch joined HE Dr Zsolt Hetesy, ambassador of Hungary to New Zealand, in arranging a roundtable with András Stefanovsky, the head of the Department (Division) for International Analysis within the Office of the Political Director of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

On 15 November, at a lunchtime meeting at the Wellington Club, US Ambassador HE Thomas Udall gave a speech on New Zealand–US relations and his reflections on his time as the twentieth US ambassador to New Zealand.

Correction

In the printed edition of the last issue (vol 49, no 6, p.31), Australia’s high commissioner was incorrectly named as HE Harinder Singh. She is, of course, HE Harinder Sidhu.