While New Zealand faces no foreseeable conventional military threat, non-conventional global and regional security challenges do have implications for New Zealand. These challenges include: terrorism; increasing intra-state conflict; threats to our forces deployed abroad in multilateral operations; global criminal networks; nuclear proliferation; problems arising from weak governments in our region and beyond; and natural disasters and competition for maritime resources in the South Pacific. On a daily basis, there can be between 1,500 to 1,800 personnel preparing to deploy, deployed on operations, or on standby for an emergency. As well as overseas missions, NZDF personnel are continually engaged in domestic operations, including search and rescue, providing assistance to Police, explosive ordnance disposal, and assisting with rural fire fighting. Personnel are also active in operations in our immediate region, such as patrolling the Exclusive Economic Zone, the Southern Ocean and our Pacific neighbourhood.
Pressures on the international community to intervene to restore stability within or between countries continue to increase. Currently, there are 17 UN-led stability operations with more than 121,000 personnel deployed, the highest figure since UN peacekeeping began. New Zealand continues to be asked to contribute to these peace support missions. At the time of writing, the NZDF has more than 800 personnel deployed on 14 separate operations in ten countries, including contributions to five UN-led missions, as well as participating in overseas training exercises, deployments, and diplomacy. We also maintain a timely response capability in our own region in the event of problematic developments.
The South Pacific must be a key focus for the NZDF. Transnational problems are placing additional stress on countries already facing pressing political, economic and social problems. These are likely to be exacerbated by the global economic downturn. The challenge for the NZDF is to maintain mobile, responsive forces that can effectively and speedily respond to calls for help from the region, as we did following riots in Tonga in 2006 and after a tsunami in Samoa in 2009. The ongoing NZDF commitment to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) is an important contribution to stability in the South Pacific. New Zealand’s influence in the South Pacific is enhanced by strong effective partnerships especially with Australia but also with other powers such as France, and with our Pacific neighbours.
The New Zealand Government continues to provide support to Timor-Leste, in conjunction with the Australian-led International Security Force (ISF), and the United Nations Interim Mission to Timor- Leste (UNMIT). The NZDF is focused on supporting security and stability in this young nation to allow it to develop key government institutions.
Further afield, New Zealand’s commitment to international efforts to promote security, good governance and development in Afghanistan (ongoing since 2001) will continue. In support of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the NZDF currently leads the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), provides a Special Forces (NZSAS) contingent and staff to ISAF HQ, assists in training the Afghan National Army, and contributes to the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA). These commitments reflect New Zealand’s resolve to stand firm against the scourge of international terrorism.
New Zealand’s closest strategic partnership is with Australia. We have a long tradition of a close defence relationship and of working together in pursuit of shared strategic interests. Our response to many of the challenges we face will most often be in concert with Australia. The NZDF has long focused on maintaining a high level of interoperability in order to promote security and stability in the neighbourhood and beyond. This is now being taken to a new level with the decision to develop an Anzac ready reaction capability, which will lead to more effective and timely responses to regional contingencies.
New Zealand’s relations with other traditional defence partners such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada continue to be very important and we work together in a range of operational contexts, most notably in Afghanistan. These defence relationships are important in themselves, but also underpin a range of broader foreign and security policy interests.
New Zealand’s historical economic and security links that have contributed to stability in Southeast Asia for decades will continue. The NZDF is committed to an active role in the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) with Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, and to participating in FPDA activities that build capacity to meet non-conventional security challenges.
The NZDF continues to be active in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) which, with its broad regional membership, provides opportunities for New Zealand to work with other forum members in countering terrorism and transnational crime, and promoting regional security through participation in confidence building measures. The NZDF is particularly active in supporting close cooperation among ARF countries in areas such as disaster relief and humanitarian response coordination, and in maritime security.
At the bilateral level in Southeast Asia, New Zealand and the NZDF continue to maintain strong relationships with Malaysia and Singapore. Bilateral relations with Indonesia are being renewed and closer links are being developed with Viet Nam and Thailand.
New Zealand’s defence relations with China, Japan and Korea, enhanced through regular defence contact and dialogue, will continue to develop. These relationships are important to New Zealand and the continuing economic and political stability of North Asia is of enduring importance. The ongoing NZDF contribution to the United Nations Command (UNCMAC) in the Republic of Korea underlines the Government’s commitment to both the United Nations and to the stability of the Korean Peninsula.
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