Pine Party Foreign Affairs Plan
Despite New Zealand's small size, the Pine Party believes that New Zealand can play a larger role in bringing the global community together to act on issues such as climate change, peace, COVID-19, inequality, and much more. New Zealand should involve itself more on the global stage and be a champion of equity, non-violence, and shared responsibility.
Our policies for foreign affairs promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Below is a list of our current policies related to foreign affairs:
Our policies for foreign affairs promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Below is a list of our current policies related to foreign affairs:
1. Increase New Zealand Foreign Aid
2. Climate Refugee Stepwise Approach Plan for the Pacific
3. Negotiate a Plastics Agreement
4. Successfully Negotiate the Global Oceans Treaty
5. Negotiate a Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Treaty
6. Promote Disarmament
7. Defend Human Rights
- New Zealand is behind the United Nation’s target for development assistance of 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) (OECD, n.d.). New Zealand, as of 2020, is only spending 0.27% of our GNI; this figure has remained relatively consistent since 2018 (New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, n.d.-b).
- The Pine Party plans to increase this figure from its current 0.27% to the complete 0.7% by 2030 and would also urge other first-world countries to meet this target
- Most of our foreign aid would be directed towards developing countries in the Pacific, as well as well as other countries around the world which requests foreign aid for development
- It is hoped that this increased amount in aid will address the following issues (Mcleod et al., 2019):
- Overpopulation
- Pollution and overuse of natural resources (e.g., overfishing)
- Degradation of island ecosystems
- Climate change
2. Climate Refugee Stepwise Approach Plan for the Pacific
- Many island nations in the Pacific are especially susceptible to climate change due to their low-lying land and lack of available land for habitation and agriculture (Ghosh, 2021)
- This stepwise approach has been designed with the Pacific Islanders in mind who want to stay in their homes (Dempster & Ober, 2020) and New Zealand is in a prime position to help those in the Pacific to deal with the effects of climate change and rising sea levels.
- The plan is listed below:
- We would first help adapt people adapt to climate change such as providing drought or flood-resistant crops, access to alternative livelihoods outside of agriculture and investing in disaster reduction efforts
- If people must relocate, then we will provide them with "opportunities to migrate with dignity" by expanding our humanitarian visas
- If all efforts fail, we will grant all those displaced by climate change a legally protected status
3. Negotiate a Plastics Agreement
- Plastic pollution is a global problem as around 7 billion of the 9.2 billion tones of plastic produced from 1950 – 2017 ended up in landfills, the ocean or dumped, affecting our ecosystem and billions of people worldwide (New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, 2022)
- The Pine Party would work with the United Nations Environment Assembly in negotiating a non-binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution
- Core elements that would include:
- A shared global goal of stopping plastic pollution
- A common national approach to combat plastic pollution
- Mechanisms for reporting and monitoring the effects of policies
- Financial mechanisms to support policies and stakeholders
- Science mechanisms to provide information for policymakers
- The treaty would see responsible and sustainable plastic use and consumption, such as phasing out single-use plastics and preventing macro and microplastics from ending up in landfills or our oceans
- Additionally, the success of this global agreement would also allow governments, businesses, and investors to create a trillion dollar circular economy for plastics as the global demand for recycled plastic rises (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, n.d.)
4. Successfully Negotiate the Global Oceans Treaty
- Oceans provide the world with jobs, food, and entertainment for millions of people worldwide as well as a thriving ecosystem
- Despite the government's efforts, our oceans still face numerous threats such as industrial fishing, oil drilling and deep-sea mining
- The Pine Party would seek to combat existing and potential threats to our oceans by backing and successfully negotiating the Global Seas Treaty currently being discussed at the UN for more than two decades (Bullett, 2021)
- It is hoped that with this treaty in place, it will ban (Bullett, 2021):
- Ban bottom trawling and seabed mining
- Have 30% of the ocean be marine protected areas (up from the current 1%)
- Allow time for our oceans to heal
5. Negotiate a Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Treaty
- The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that no country or institution can handle the effects of a pandemic alone
- The Pine Party would thus work with the EU and the WHO on developing a globally binding pandemic prevention and preparedness agreement (Council of the European Union, 2022) to strengthen New Zealand's capacity to fight future pandemics
- What we hope to get out of this agreement is:
- Better knowledge of how infectious diseases spread through collaboration and coordinated research
- Better monitoring and improved accuracy of information and communication from government to citizens to tackle misinformation
- Better earlier detection and effective response
- Better health supplies and services as countries would coordinate and deploy medical equipment and teams to where they are most needed
- Restore trust in our health system
6. Promote Disarmament
- Ever since the declaration of the New Zealand nuclear-free zone and the passing of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987, New Zealand has been a champion for the disarmament and arms control (New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade, n.d.-a)
- The Pine Party wishes to continue to support New Zealand's current stance on disarmament and arms control
- The Pine Party would also advocate for all countries to sign the following treaties:
- Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons - prohibits the use of nuclear weapons with the goal of their total elimination (United Nations, n.d.-b)
- Geneva Protocol - prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons in war (United Nations, n.d.-a)
- Arms Trade Treaty - regulates the international trade of conventional weapons (Arms Trade Treaty, n.d.)
7. Defend Human Rights
- The Pine Party would advocate for an international agreement to protect the rights of all currently unprotected groups worldwide
- We would additionally advocate for UN-authorised intervention as part of the UN's doctrine of "responsibility to protect" if a state were to commit one of the four mass atrocity crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing (Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, n.d.)
- The three pillars of responsibility that the Pine Party supports would include:
- Protect New Zealand against the four mass atrocity crimes
- Protect the international community and assist other states in preventing the four mass atrocity crimes
- Take collective action against any state failing to protect its populations
References:
Arms Trade Treaty. (n.d.). The Arms Trade Treaty | Home Page. Thearmstradetreaty.org; ATT. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://thearmstradetreaty.org/
Bullett, J. (2021). Why a Global Ocean Treaty is the best hope for saving our seas. Greenpeace. https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/global-ocean-treaty-best-hope-ocean-protection/
Council of the European Union. (2022). An international treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness. Europa.eu; European Council. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/coronavirus/pandemic-treaty/
Dempster, H., & Ober, K. (2020). New Zealand’s “Climate Refugee” Visas: Lessons for the Rest of the World - World. ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/new-zealands-climate-refugee-visas-lessons-rest-world
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (n.d.). Plastics and the circular economy. Ellenmacarthurfoundation.org. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/plastics-and-the-circular-economy
Ghosh, R. C., & Orchiston, C. (2021). Climate-induced Migration in the Pacific: The Role of New Zealand. NZAIA. https://www.nzaia.org.nz/ghoshandorchiston.html
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. (n.d.). What is R2P? - Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://www.globalr2p.org/what-is-r2p/#:~:text=The%20Responsibility%20to%20Protect%20%E2%80%93%20known,cleansing%20and%20crimes%20against%20humanity.
Hughes, K. (2022). What perspectives does a plastic pollution treaty offer and which priorities must it focus on? World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/05/perspectives-and-priorities-in-a-plastic-pollution-treaty/
Mcleod, E., Bruton-Adams, M., Förster, J., Franco, C., Gaines, G., Gorong, B., James, R., Posing-Kulwaum, G., Tara, M., & Terk, E. (2019). Lessons From the Pacific Islands – Adapting to Climate Change by Supporting Social and Ecological Resilience. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00289
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.-a). Taking a nuclear-free policy to the world. Govt.nz. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/mfat75/taking-a-nuclear-free-policy-to-the-world/
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.-b). Where our funding goes. New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; MFAT. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/our-approach-to-aid/where-our-funding-goes/
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2019). He waka eke noa: Towards a better future, together. New Zealand’s progress towards the SDG’s 2019 (pp. 59–61).
New Zealand Ministry for the Environment. (2022). Towards a global agreement to combat marine plastic pollution. Ministry for the Environment; Ministry for the Environment. https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/international-action/towards-a-global-agreement-to-combat-marine-plastic-pollution/
OECD. (n.d.). The 0.7% ODA/GNI target - a history - OECD. OECD. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.oecd.org/development/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/the07odagnitarget-ahistory.htm
UN Environment Programme. (n.d.). Plastic Pollution. UNEP - UN Environment Programme. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution
United Nations. (n.d.-a). 1925 Geneva Protocol – UNODA. Un.org. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/bio/1925-geneva-protocol/
United Nations. (n.d.-b). Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons – UNODA. Un.org. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/
Arms Trade Treaty. (n.d.). The Arms Trade Treaty | Home Page. Thearmstradetreaty.org; ATT. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://thearmstradetreaty.org/
Bullett, J. (2021). Why a Global Ocean Treaty is the best hope for saving our seas. Greenpeace. https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/global-ocean-treaty-best-hope-ocean-protection/
Council of the European Union. (2022). An international treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness. Europa.eu; European Council. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/coronavirus/pandemic-treaty/
Dempster, H., & Ober, K. (2020). New Zealand’s “Climate Refugee” Visas: Lessons for the Rest of the World - World. ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/new-zealands-climate-refugee-visas-lessons-rest-world
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (n.d.). Plastics and the circular economy. Ellenmacarthurfoundation.org. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/plastics-and-the-circular-economy
Ghosh, R. C., & Orchiston, C. (2021). Climate-induced Migration in the Pacific: The Role of New Zealand. NZAIA. https://www.nzaia.org.nz/ghoshandorchiston.html
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. (n.d.). What is R2P? - Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://www.globalr2p.org/what-is-r2p/#:~:text=The%20Responsibility%20to%20Protect%20%E2%80%93%20known,cleansing%20and%20crimes%20against%20humanity.
Hughes, K. (2022). What perspectives does a plastic pollution treaty offer and which priorities must it focus on? World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/05/perspectives-and-priorities-in-a-plastic-pollution-treaty/
Mcleod, E., Bruton-Adams, M., Förster, J., Franco, C., Gaines, G., Gorong, B., James, R., Posing-Kulwaum, G., Tara, M., & Terk, E. (2019). Lessons From the Pacific Islands – Adapting to Climate Change by Supporting Social and Ecological Resilience. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00289
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.-a). Taking a nuclear-free policy to the world. Govt.nz. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/mfat75/taking-a-nuclear-free-policy-to-the-world/
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.-b). Where our funding goes. New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; MFAT. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/our-approach-to-aid/where-our-funding-goes/
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2019). He waka eke noa: Towards a better future, together. New Zealand’s progress towards the SDG’s 2019 (pp. 59–61).
New Zealand Ministry for the Environment. (2022). Towards a global agreement to combat marine plastic pollution. Ministry for the Environment; Ministry for the Environment. https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/international-action/towards-a-global-agreement-to-combat-marine-plastic-pollution/
OECD. (n.d.). The 0.7% ODA/GNI target - a history - OECD. OECD. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.oecd.org/development/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/the07odagnitarget-ahistory.htm
UN Environment Programme. (n.d.). Plastic Pollution. UNEP - UN Environment Programme. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution
United Nations. (n.d.-a). 1925 Geneva Protocol – UNODA. Un.org. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/bio/1925-geneva-protocol/
United Nations. (n.d.-b). Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons – UNODA. Un.org. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/