New Zealand Institute of International Affairs

Seminar Background

The Institute's key focus lies with New Zealand's perspective on international affairs. In recent years the Institute has hosted Admiral Charles Larson, the US Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific (CINCPAC) the first visit to New Zealand (April 1994) by a senior American armed services officer after the ANZUS dispute of 1985; a seminar in the Beehive to mark the 50th Anniversary of New Zealand's diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union/Russia (August 1994); a meeting in Parliament Buildings for the then United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, which over 400 people attended (August 1994); and in February 2000, jointly with the International Law Association and the UN Association, a very successful meeting for the current UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

Wide Ranging Seminar Topics

In 1996 both the Auckland and Wellington branches ran well-attended seminars on topical issues - Human Rights (Auckland) and Latin America (Wellington). The papers of the Auckland seminar were published as Culture, Ethnicity and Human Rights in International Relations edited by Rorden Wilkinson.

In 1997 the National Office staged a Public Debate on the Future of Nuclear Weapons between a visiting expert from the UK, Sir Michael Quinlan, former British Secretary of Defence, and New Zealander, Terence O'Brien, then Director of the Center for Strategic Studies and former Ambassador to the UN (including on the Security Council), . This was followed by a seminar on Prosperity and Security in Asia and the Pacific. Both were well attended, and generated lively discussions.

The next year, 1998, the NZIIA ran a seminar to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Adoption by the UN of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, under the chairmanship of Sir Geoffrey Palmer. The papers were collected and published by the NZIIA and VUW Law Faculty. Another seminar on Prosperity and Security in Asia and the Pacific followed that seminar.

In 1999 the pattern changed: one seminar on Free Trade in the New Millennium and another on Climate Change was held. Each involved distinguished speakers from overseas, as well as New Zealand experts. Both attracted large audiences. The papers on Free Trade in the New Millennium, edited by Professor Gary Hawke were published.

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In 2000, the Institute again held two seminars. The first, which took place in February, was on Defence Policy After East Timor. The second, in July, dealt with The Consequences of the East Timor Crisis for Indonesia and the Rest of the Asia-Pacific Region including Australia and New Zealand. At the latter, there were nine overseas speakers, including Xanana Gusmao, now the President of East Timor, as well as three New Zealanders. Some 150 people attended the discussions over two days. Guest speakers at the Seminar Dinner were Xanana Gusmao, the Hon Phil Goff and the Hon Matt Robson. The papers presented were published as East Timor - The Consequences. Demand for this book was so great that it is now out of print.

In July 2001, the Institute held an important and well-attended seminar on New Zealand-Australia Relations, and the papers presented, were published under the title New Zealand and Australia - Where Are We Going? A second seminar, with the Shanghai Institute of International Studies (SIIS) was held on 29 August 2001, on the theme The Asia-Pacific Region - Policy Changes for the Next Decade. and these papers were published under the same name. A wide-ranging seminar on New Zealand and the Pacific: Diplomacy, Defence, Development was held in July 2002, with the papers being published with the same title.

The practice of holding two National Office seminars a year, initiated by former Director, the late Bryce Harland, as well as the Annual Dinner, has helped to raise the NZIIA's profile, both inside and outside New Zealand. For seminars involving experts from overseas it is necessary to charge admission fees as well as to obtain sponsors. The relatively modest price charged has not deterred people from attending when the subject is of wide interest and the speakers are well qualified. Further, as the Institute has become better known, it has been possible to get financial support from Government departments, and the private sector. Without such help, it would be difficult to mount an international seminar.

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