NZIIA Seminar: 'Oceans Apart? UK and the Pacific: Partnerships and Shared Values.'

Despite sitting on opposite sides of the globe, the UK and the Pacific are brought together through partnerships based on shared priorities and shared values – and a hared commitment to the Commonwealth. The idea of being oceans apart is thus turned on its head. Tonight’s seminar was given by none other than the British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa, H. E. Laura Clarke.

Ms Clarke is a graduate from Cambridge University and the London School of Economics, studying modern languages and International Relations. Since January 2018, she has served as the High Commissioner to New Zealand, and the Governer of the Pitcairn Islands. Since March 2018, she became the High Commissioner to Samoa. In addition, her resume includes being the Head, South Asia Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Government Coordinator for India, Chief of Staff to the Minister for Europe, and working in EU Justice and Home Affairs, just to name a few. Prior to those, she also served in the Ministry of Justice, the European Commission, and the British Parliament.

In her address, Clarke detailed the UK’s collaborative role and policies in the Pacific, with specific reference to the challenges involved in fostering economic and climate resilience in the region. This is after a long period of “down-sizing” their presence in the Pacific, however now they have ramped up their diplomatic ties. She also detailed how the UK and Pacific Island states work together in pursuing common goals, in the Commonwealth and beyond. This also includes tackling climate change and environmental issues, such as the discovery and disposal of 6000 tons of plastic over the course of eleven days on various beaches across the Pacific. The disposed plastic wastes were discovered to have originated from various countries such as China and Argentina, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, the UK and the Pacific’s partnership is also strengthened in their combat against the use of chemical weapons on unarmed civilians. This was prompted by the Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad regime’s use of these weapons in the Syrian Civil War and the incident in Salisbury where the Intelligence Officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by A-234; an organophosphate nerve agent.Finally, despite the inclusion of Brexit since 23rd June 2016, the UK is looking to strengthen their partnership with Australia and NZ in the Pacific.

This New Zealand Institute of International Affairs seminar was presented in association with the British New Zealand Business Association, and the India New Zealand Trade Alliance.

Also, see the previous seminar here.