Authors    Nureddin Abdurahman and Malcolm McKinnon

Through the early part of the 2010s the New Zealand government carried out a sustained campaign for one of the elected (non-permanent) places on the United Nations Security Council, representing the ‘Western Europe and others’ group of member states. Despite having more limited resources and influence than the two other candidates, Spain and Turkey, New Zealand’s campaign was successful and it was elected in October 2014, along with Spain; Turkey missed out.
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In the course of that campaign, New Zealand diplomats and government representatives criss-crossed Africa – 54 votes in the United Nations General Assembly out of 193 – to seek support for the candidacy. New Zealand opened a mission in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, accredited to both the African Union and to Ethiopia itself. New Zealand did not blitz African with an open cheque book but it promised a variety of types of social and economic assistance – agricultural expertise, language training for officials, and educational scholarships amongst them. 

Author  Stuart McMillan

A shift in Japan’s defence posture has been noted with approval in New Zealand. The Key Government’s 2016 Defence White Paper observed:
 
Japan is an important defence partner for New Zealand, with common democratic values and a shared commitment to maintaining regional peace and security. New Zealand welcomes Japan’s recent moves to make a more proactive contribution to international security (para 3.68, p34).
 
Indications of what this partnership may involve could emerge from upcoming high levels visits to Japan. In turn, Japan is planning to send an aircraft and a ship for the Royal NZ Navy fleet review this November. It will also surely want to market its Kawasaki aircraft as possible replacements for New Zealand’s long-serving Hercules and Orion planes. 
 
Any resulting intensification in New Zealand’s defence relationship with Japan will be occurring at a time of significant change in Tokyo’s outlook.