Ministry Statements & Speeches:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade acts in the world to build a safer, more prosperous and more sustainable future for New Zealanders. To do this effectively we must be alert to how the world is changing and the impacts of those changes on Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Ministry’s 2023 Strategic Foreign Policy Assessment looks ahead to 2035 and – with the theme of Navigating a shifting world – Te whakatere i tētahi ao hurihuri – is intended as a contribution to the national conversation on foreign policy.
The Assessment is a departmental document, produced by the Ministry to help inform, and ensure policy coherence across, our 1700+ staff in Wellington, Auckland and our 58 offshore posts. Its purpose is not to propose specific responses, but rather provide a wide-angle lens that can be used to shape our foreign, trade and development policy choices. It is a departmental view, and does not represent Government policy.
The period to 2035 will be a more uncertain and complex time for New Zealand. New Zealand will need to navigate a wider array of global threats and increased risks. The Ministry needs to understand where the challenges and opportunities lie for New Zealand, and advise the Government accordingly.
The purpose of this Assessment is to help build public understanding of this changing strategic environment, the emerging issues, and how New Zealand responds to them.
Chris Seed
Chief Executive and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade