The Green Party supports strategic security and defence policies that further non-violent objectives and support peace. We will take an independent, Pacific-oriented approach that respects the tino rangatiratanga of Māori over protecting their traditional lands and people. We will build democratic oversight into security, intelligence and defence operations to protect human rights. We will ensure that peacekeeping, disaster relief, humanitarian work and environmental monitoring make up the core of the NZDF’s work and prioritise conflict prevention over military force.
Vision
Aotearoa New Zealand is secure from external threats and promotes conflict prevention and peaceful conflict resolution across the globe.
Values and Principles
Defence, security and intelligence policy and practices must align with the following understandings:
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: All national protection measures must uphold Māori rights and wellbeing in order to be effective and consistent with international obligations.
- Ecological Wisdom: Climate change and environmental degradation exacerbate existing security threats in Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider Pacific region. Environmental restoration and aligning human activity with ecological wellbeing contribute to a peaceful world.
- Social Responsibility: Inequitable distribution of resources increases vulnerability and fuels unrest. Addressing inequities contributes to a peaceful world.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: Risks of power abuse and exploitation through defence and security activities can be mitigated by democratic oversight, transparency, and independence from the defence and security policies of states and regions with great military and economic strength.
- Non-Violence: Peaceful, ethical, and lawful approaches to security challenges must be consistently prioritised and force only used when absolutely necessary for protection. Human rights must be respected.
- Pacific Orientation: As a Pacific nation, Aotearoa New Zealand should prioritise the stability and protection of the Pacific region, in a manner that upholds Pacific values such as collectivism, reciprocity, and interdependence.
Strategic Priorities
In our long-term strategy, the Green Party commits to action on the following:
“The unprecedented scale and urgency of the ecological crises facing our nation and our planet;
The large and growing scale of local and global inequalities and their role in the ecological crises we face;
The need for healthy relationships, with the natural world, each other, and ourselves if we are to survive the crises we face.”
Actions in this policy that address these issues include:
- Ensure that national security and defence systems uphold the rights of tangata whenua affirmed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including the tino rangatiratanga of all hapū and iwi over protecting their traditional lands and people. (1.1)
- Safeguard the autonomy and integrity of Aotearoa New Zealand, including its right to set standards, institute protections against abuse of power and privilege and reduce the potential for conflicts of interest in the exercise of authority. (1.4)
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Ensure that the roles for the NZDF comprise the following, and align its operations and resourcing accordingly: (2.1)
- The promotion and protection of peace, justice and the environment throughout the Pacific and the world through our peacekeeping and peacemaking roles;
- The protection of the territories of Aotearoa New Zealand, including policing of our Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), into Antarctic waters, and supporting the security of the territories of our Pacific neighbours; and
- Rapid action in crisis situations in Aotearoa New Zealand and Pacific nations, including humanitarian aid, assisting in civil defence emergencies, disaster relief, and search and rescue.
- Establish a centre for the training of international peacekeepers and share capacity on conflict prevention and peace mediation support work. (2.8.1)
Connected Policies
This policy is part of our approach to Global Affairs, key to which is safeguarding the political and economic autonomy and integrity of Aotearoa New Zealand (see also our Trade and Foreign Investment Policy). A stable Climate and resilience in Energy, Food and Freshwater minimise threats, both overseas and domestically. Our Emergency Management Policy strengthens the ability of civil defence and other government agencies to assist the NZDF in responding to acute crises, while our Digital Policy supports cybersecurity.
