Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand)

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is the New Zealand Government ministry responsible for promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and international relations.

It is responsible to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, as well as the Minister for Trade, Tim Groser and Prime Minister John Key. It provides advice to the New Zealand Government on international issues.

The ministry takes an active role in the Asia-Pacific region, and has been involved in regional security initiatives such as the RAMSI intervention in the Solomon Islands, and negotiating and implementing a peace agreement in Bougainville. The ministry represents New Zealand interests to other governments, including at the United Nations, APEC and the WTO.

It is active in developing export opportunities for local companies, and in 2008 negotiated a free trade agreement with China.

The Ministry has over 600 staff and a budget of $184 million NZD, excluding the aid programme. The ministry is based in Wellington, and has consulates and embassies in 48 overseas posts.

Along with other NZ Government ministries, it used to sponsor the Centre for Strategic Studies New Zealand, though the Centre is now part of Victoria University of Wellington.

The Ministry acts in a supervisory capacity (shared with the Ministry of Economic Development) for the delivery agency known as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

NZAID

The New Zealand overseas development aid agency NZAID is a semi-autonomous agency within the ministry. It is a major provider of aid to the Pacific.

Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• Sir Alister McIntosh (1942-1966)
• Sir George Laking (1967-1972)
• Frank Corner (1973-1980)
• Merwyn Norrish (1980-1988)
• Graham Ansell (1989-1993)
• Richard Nottage (1993-1998)
• Neil Walter (1998-2002)
• Simon Murdoch (2002-2009)
• John Allen (2009-present)

See also

• Foreign relations of New Zealand
• New Zealand Agency for International Development
• List of New Zealand diplomatic posts
• List of Ambassadors and High Commissioners to and from New Zealand as of 24 July 2006.
• List of High Commissioners from New Zealand to the United Kingdom (for historic lists for other countries see "Heads of Missions" box below.

External links

• the Ministry's website
• NZAID's website
• NZ Embassy finder

References

• An eye, an ear and a voice: 50 years in New Zealand’s external relations edited by Malcolm Templeton (1993, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington NZ) ISBN 0477037259
• Undiplomatic Dialogue: Letters between Carl Berendsen and Alister McIntosh 1943-1952 edited by Ian McGibbon (1993, Auckland University Press, Auckland NZ) ISBN 1 86940 095 X
• Unofficial Channels: Letters between Alister McIntosh and Foss Shanahan, George Laking and Frank Corner 1946-1966 edited by Ian McGibbon (1999, Victoria University Press, Wellington NZ) ISBN 0 86473 365 8