Speech to the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies Event
Public Trust Building Wellington Thursday 3rd October 2024.
He hōnore, he korōria, he maungārongo ki te mata o te whenua, he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa, arohaina ngā Teina me ngā Tuakana I roto I te whakaaro Kotahi – Pai Mārire.
Kei ngā mana o tēnei whenua, ōtīrā Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui, Te Whanganui-a-Tara – ka tiki te rere a ngā tai mihi ki a Te Ātiawa Whānui me te maha a ngā kōrero kei ngā kīwai o te kete. Tau tika mai rā ki ngā huāngā a Toa Rangatira me te hononga ki te tai o te uru. Tēnā koutou.
E rere tonu ngā mihi ki te tini me te mano i muia rārā i te marae o Tūrangawaewae me ngā tangi apakura e pīkau nā i mua i te aroaro o Mahinaarangi, ki a Kīngi Tūheitia me tōna kāhui. Ko Kīngi Tūheitia ki te rangi, Ko Te Arikinui Ngā Wai Hono ī te Pō ki te whenua, ara ake e te Kuini ka tau te tūmanako, te whakapono me te aroha mōhau rā.
Nō reira kei ngā mana, kei ngā reo nō ngā tōpito o te motu, Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
Acknowledgements
Let me take a brief moment to acknowledge our special guests members of the Diplomatic corp, friends and colleagues which have come to support this event tonight.
It is my pleasure to oWer remarks as a newly appointed trustee to the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies. Can I echo the acknowledgement to Kennedy Graham who founded the Centre wanting to ensure that a serious consideration of international relations and foreign policy here at home would help to generate debate and inform Aotearoa New Zealand’s independent foreign policy and diplomatic approach.
The original pillars of the Centre will continue to inform our work and include: Global Citizenship and Education, Sustainability and Climate Change, Global Law and Governance, Security and Disarmament. These are guiding principles that remain central to our activities as we move forward. We will also migrate Tuākiritanga (Identity), Hononga (Connections) and Kaitiakitanga (Stewardship) as key enablers to promote indigenous perspectives and global values. This will ensure that we can continue to shape a unique disposition of global citizenship for indigenous peoples and communities.
As we navigate an increasingly complex and contested world, we recognise the importance of repositioning the Centre’s work to highlight its relevance in today’s context. We are committed to ensuring that our initiatives resonate with contemporary challenges and foster meaningful engagement, empowering individuals and communities to address the pressing issues of our time. We aim to support a more sustainable future that reflects peace, and a stable future.
Next Steps – A Common Cause
We welcome your presence and the relationship we intend to foster as the Centre takes its next step. He aha te mea nui i te Ao?, he tangata, he taiao, he mana tangata – What is the most important thing in the World? It is our people. our planet, our common humanity.
Recent global events have underscored our collective shortcomings in addressing the climate crisis, achieving global peace, stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons and meaningful progress against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These challenges form the nexus of pressing need at this time of unprecedented danger for people and the planet. Now, more than ever, we must rise to meet these challenges—for ourselves and for future generations.
In open democracies around there is a growing sense of disillusion and mistrust of political motives and a level of division that we cannot allow to unravel the very fabric of international cooperation. We need to restore confidence in the UN Charter, but it needs to be modernised and improved to be relevant to all member states irrespective of size.
There is serious need for an abiding commitment to international law and multilateralism. We are increasingly alert to the pressing need for calling on diplomacy to avert crisis and conflict and keep open the prospect of sustainable peace and stability.
There is an opportunity in our region to support and co-ordinate to build a cadre of leaders and changemakers committed to a peaceful and prosperous Pacific. To achieve this, we propose that the Centre promotes and supports the delivery of global citizenship and education. This will form a vector to what we do across the four pillars and in partnership with others.
We Need Change – Education the Key
We are all interconnected and interdependent, and in this shared world, we will either thrive or perish together. No nation state has the luxury of isolation without consequence. The ongoing crises in Ukraine and Gaza are chilling reminders of the fragile state of our global community. Extreme terrorist aggression must be condemned, but we must also denounce disproportionate state violence that harms innocent civilians. The bombings in Gaza, which have killed hundreds of civilians, and the forced displacement of Ukrainians due to Russian aggression illustrate the devastating human cost of both state and non-state violence.
We need a deliberate and intentional set of actions to foster the change required to take us forwards. Global citizenship—recognising our shared humanity and responsibility – is an opportunity to build a more tolerant, empathetic, fair and just world.
There are examples where education is the key to this transformation. Countries like Finland, demonstrate inclusive and equitable education systems are creating societies that prioritise empathy, social justice, and cooperation. Values matter and success is evidenced in how a society promotes universal principals that safeguards, peace, equality, equity, security, rights, responsibilities and freedoms.
Status Quo Not an Option
New Zealand can provide that leadership and intent here at home and in the Pacific. Political leadership must not rest solely with politicians but rather a fully engaged democracy committed to the rigor of its institutions, laws, freedoms and in our case Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As we strive to achieve this, we can hub our network and expertise to foster shared values that benefit the Pacific and our wider region.
On the environmental front, sustainability and climate change are existential threats we must address. We are not on track to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have made clear. This failure disproportionately aWects vulnerable communities, particularly in small island nations like Kiribati and Tuvalu, which are already grappling with rising sea levels and food insecurity. Women and children in these regions are often the first to feel the impacts of environmental degradation, as seen in the increasing rates of displacement and loss of livelihoods.
Global citizenship would urge us to promote sustainable practices, advocating for climate justice, and demanding urgent climate action. Countries like Costa Rica, which has successfully transitioned to using 99% renewable energy, show what is possible when nations commit to phasing out fossil fuels and building low-emissions economies. Sadly, Aotearoa New Zealand is at risk of sliding on its previous commitments under the Paris Agreement, potentially falling short in supporting its Pacific neighbours, who are facing the irreversible eYects of climate change.
Global law and governance provide the framework through which peace and sustainability can be achieved. The international rule of law, as embodied by the United Nations (UN) Charter, must hold meaning for today’s generation. However, the ongoing war in Ukraine, sparked by Russia’s illegal invasion, has severely eroded trust in these institutions. The ongoing threat to territorial integrity and sovereignty has simply morphed into an egotistical quest and show of power to exclaim might is right – we cannot let that happen.
Similarly, Israel’s disproportionate military actions against innocent Palestinian civilians, including women and children, cannot be justified, just as the terrorist aggression of Hezbollah cannot be tolerated.
These conflicts remind us that two wrongs do not make a right, and responding to injustice with further violence only deepens generational trauma and undermines prospects for enduring peace and stability. The devastation in Ukraine and Gaza will leave deep, unhealed wounds on the hearts of innocent children, who will struggle to comprehend the pain and severity of injustice inflicted upon them.
Violations of international law and human rights, including the weaponization of children in conflict, must not go unchecked. Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to upholding international law and must continue to support eWorts to hold perpetrators accountable in international courts, such as the International Criminal Court’s investigations into war crimes in both Ukraine and Palestine.
Furthermore, there is a growing call within the international community to modernise governance structures to ensure they are inclusive and responsive to today’s challenges. The UN, in particular, needs to evolve to maintain its relevance in an increasingly multipolar world. Aotearoa New Zealand has consistently advocated for reform, including the removal of the P5 veto power at the UN Security Council, which often paralyses its ability to act in the face of crises like those in Syria, Palestine and Ukraine.
The glaring contradiction of P5 Member States claiming to act “in the interests” of global security is nothing short of a farce. Time and again, when they invoke their special right of veto, it has neither prevented war nor delivered justice—instead, it has often prolonged conflict. For instance, Russia’s repeated use of the veto in the Syrian Civil War has blocked resolutions aimed at ending violence and delivering humanitarian aid. The United States’ frequent vetoes concerning Israel and Palestine have stalled eWorts toward a lasting peace. These actions have only deepened suYering, undermined international law, and eroded trust in the very institutions meant to uphold peace and security, making a mockery of the system they were tasked to uphold and safeguard in the name of global security.
Revitalising multilateralism, ensuring that small states like New Zealand have a voice, and rebuilding trust among nations are essential steps in creating a fairer, more just global order. New Zealand has consistently championed multilateralism across numerous areas, including peace, security, human rights, trade, and disarmament.
Our longstanding commitment to nuclear disarmament, exemplified by New Zealand’s anti-nuclear stance and leadership in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, reflects our deep belief in global cooperation for peace.
In trade, Aotearoa New Zealand’s active participation in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and our leadership in promoting the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) exemplify our commitment to rules-based trade that benefits all.
In addition to this, New Zealand’s advocacy for human rights and its consistent support for UN peacekeeping missions, from Timor-Leste to the Middle East, further reinforce our dedication to upholding international law and justice. By working collaboratively with both large and small nations, New Zealand strives to shape a global order where every state, regardless of size, has a seat at the table and a voice in determining our collective future.
Security and Disarmament are equally urgent. The threat of continued proliferation of nuclear weapons remains, and the risks are escalating in our own region. Nuclear weapons must never be used. We cannot depend on human nature alone to distinguish right from wrong or to ensure restraint in the use of nuclear weapons; such reliance is unreliable. We must redouble our eWorts to reduce nuclear threats to advance disarmament and non-proliferation. New technologies, including autonomous weapon systems and artificial intelligence, present new risks that demand responsible governance and regulation. Additionally, we must confront digital threats, such as cyber- attacks and online extremism, through smart coalitions that bridge governments, civil society, and the private sector towards a common goal as was intended by the Christchurch Call to Action. The more we promote innovative, multi-stakeholder initiatives to drive meaningful change, the more diplomacy evolves into a complex and broader responsibility with a refined playbook to maintain innovative solutions to multifaceted problems.
More must be done to tackle the underlying causes of conflict, such as food insecurity, which endangers the lives of hundreds of millions worldwide. I have previously emphasized that food should never be weaponised, and we must urgently deliver humanitarian aid to those in need. No matter the circumstance, the ability to provide humanitarian aid, safe passage and corridors for relief is a fundamental expectation in any crisis or conflict.
These examples validate the need for urgent action across these four pillars, as we work together to build a more peaceful, equitable, and sustainable future.
Pillars for Change – Role of the Centre
In this complex and contested world, the stakes have never been higher. We must commit to the four pillars of Global Citizenship and Education, Sustainability and Climate Change, Global Law and Governance, and Security and Disarmament as the foundation of our collective eWorts to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future.
Peace, justice, and sustainability are not merely aspirational ideals; they are essential for our shared survival. The global refugee crisis, driven by conflicts like the Syrian civil war and the war in Ukraine, underscores the need for strengthened global citizenship and humanitarian education, where understanding and cooperation transcend borders. In addressing climate change, countries like the Maldives and Pacific Island nations are on the frontlines of rising sea levels, emphasizing the urgency of global sustainability eWorts. The Paris Agreement and recent COP climate negotiations highlight the importance of international collaboration in mitigating climate change impacts.
In the realm of global law and governance, the International Criminal Court’s eYorts to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable in conflict zones, including Ukraine, Palestine and Myanmar, demonstrate the critical need for a robust international legal framework. Similarly, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, championed by countries such as New Zealand and Austria, represents a pivotal step toward global disarmament and the prevention of catastrophic nuclear conflict.
At the NZ Centre for Global Studies, we want to weave together our combined networks of experts, knowledge holders alongside the values and principles that are necessary to shape our world and uphold peace and prosperity for all peoples and the planet.
We firmly believe in the remarkable potential of young minds to critically evaluate and challenge the norms that shape our lives, especially when those norms conflict with the values necessary for fostering peace, tolerance, equality, and sustainability. By empowering them to think deeply and act boldly, we can inspire a generation capable of transforming our world for the better.
Their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas are vital to creating a future where justice prevails, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
In the near future you will hear more about how the Centre will seek to develop, deliver, and support transformative programs that foster global citizenship and we look forward to your support as a concrete call to action.
Conclusion
We aim to cultivate a deep and abiding respect for international law, fostering a robust understanding of open and transparent democracy—where every citizen recognises their inherent rights and responsibilities. We champion a shared commitment to human rights and humanitarian principles, igniting a passion for justice and equity. Our advocacy for stewardship—kaitiakitanga—of our environment.
In addition to this the Centre is keen to promote innovative models for peace and security, understanding that these are not merely concepts, but lifelines for communities around the globe. By equipping the next generation with these vital skills and knowledge, we are not just preparing them to face the challenges of our time; we are inspiring a new wave of informed global citizens who will courageously engage in the struggle for a more just and sustainable future.
The Centre looks forward to building our network of support and partners to achieve these objectives “Me whiria te muka tangata, ka whiria mo te ao” Let us weave our people together for the benefit of our common cause – peace, sustainable development, human rights, and social justice.
No reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
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