Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE
Our vision
New Zealand prides itself as a country which thinks independently, has strong values and,
notwithstanding our small size, makes a significant contribution to the world community as a
good international citizen. Labour is concerned that those longstanding values and our
international reputation have been put at risk by a lack of commitment and a change in focus
from the current Government.
Our vision is of a world which is peaceful, stable and secure, prosperous, democratic and
socially just. We believe the path to achieve this must first and foremost be a multilateral
one, working through and seeking to improve organisations such as the United Nations and
World Trade Organisation.
Our aim is to create an international system which is rules-based rather than one where
countries impose their will on others by virtue of their size and power. We are committed to
acting collectively to deal with problems which increasingly transcend national boundaries.
New Zealand in the world
Foreign Affairs is more than trade. It involves complex diplomatic relationships and peopleto-people
interests across global issues such as climate change, environmental degradation,
human rights, security, conflict resolution, disarmament, and democratic representation as
well as trade and overseas development assistance. New Zealand has had a proud tradition
of independence in its foreign policy and Labour will continue that tradition. We will continue
to support international multilateral fora such as the United Nations as appropriate vehicles
for the resolution of global issues.
We have for a long time valued deeply those relationships with traditional friends such as
Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States of America. We share common
values with these countries and derive many of our democratic institutions from the United
Kingdom and Europe in particular. Our relationship with Australia will remain our closest of
all, given our shared political, economic and people to people interests.
We look forward to continuing to deepen and strengthen these traditional ties.
It is also true that geographic and political arrangements are changing. The great economies
and cultural centres of the past are being influenced by new, emerging powers such as
China, India and Brazil. New Zealand needs to be relating more deeply and broadly with a
wider range of trading partners and cultures than ever before.
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