The foreign relations of New Zealand are oriented chiefly toward developed democratic nations and emerging Pacific Island economies. Until the late 20th century,New Zealand aligned itself strongly with the United Kingdom and had few bilateral relationships with other countries. From the latter half of the 20th century,Australia has been New Zealand's most important cultural,economic and military partner. Today,the country participates in several multilateral political organisations,including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation,the Pacific Community,and the Pacific Islands Forum. New Zealand has been described as an emerging power;however,such a claim needs to be considered in the context of its medium-sized economy and limited military capability. The country's major political parties have generally agreed on the broad outlines of foreign policy,and the government has been active in promoting free trade,nuclear disarmament,and arms control.
Tokelau is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls:Atafu,Nukunonu,and Fakaofo. They have a combined land area of 10 km2 (4 sq mi). In addition to these three,Swains Island,which forms part of the same archipelago,is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute;it is currently administered by the United States as part of American Samoa. Tokelau lies north of the Samoan Islands,east of Tuvalu,south of the Phoenix Islands,southwest of the more distant Line Islands,and northwest of the Cook Islands.
The foreign policy of Solomon Islands as of 2008 was described by the Solomon Islands government as a "look north" policy,aimed as strengthening diplomatic and economic relations with Asian countries for development purposes.
The politics of Tokelau takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency. The head of state of Tokelau is King Charles III in right of his Realm of New Zealand,who is represented by an Administrator. The monarch is hereditary,the Administrator is appointed by the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Realm of New Zealand is the area over which the monarch of New Zealand is head of state. The realm is not a federation but is a collection of states and territories united under its monarch. New Zealand is an independent and sovereign state that has one territorial claim in Antarctica,one dependent territory (Tokelau),and two associated states. The Realm of New Zealand encompasses the three autonomous jurisdictions of New Zealand,the Cook Islands,and Niue.
The British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT) was a colonial entity created in 1877 for the administration of a series of Pacific islands in Oceania under a single representative of the British Crown,styled the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. Except for Fiji and the Solomon Islands,most of these colonial possessions were relatively minor.
John Bernard Hayes is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. A member of the National Party,he was a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives in the Wairarapa electorate from 2005 to 2014.
The administrator of Tokelau is an official of the New Zealand Government,responsible for supervising the government of the dependent territory of Tokelau.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) (Māori:ManatūAorere) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on foreign and trade policy,and promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and international relations.
Jonathan Dale Kings is a New Zealand diplomat who is the current New Zealand ambassador to Thailand,Cambodia and Laos. He was formerly the Administrator of Tokelau from 2011 to 2015,and from 2017 to 2018;and the Deputy Secretary of the Pacific and Development Group from 2015 to 2022 as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade he joined in 2010. He was also responsible for New Zealand's relations with Niue.
David Ross Ardern is a New Zealand diplomat and former police officer. He was the Administrator of Tokelau from 2018 to 2022,having previously served as the High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue from 2014 to 2018,and as Niue's police commissioner from 2005 to 2009.
Raymond Frederick Watters was a New Zealand geographer. He conducted interdisciplinary studies and projects for UN agencies,British Overseas Development Administration,NZ Aid and governments of a number of developing countries including Solomon Islands,Kiribati,Tuvalu,Mexico,Venezuela,Peru and Papua New Guinea.
Linda Te Puni is a diplomat from New Zealand of Māori heritage. She has served as the High Commissioner to the Cook Islands from 2010 until 2011 and Tuvalu beginning in 2016. She has also been Administrator of Tokelau.
