New Zealand 's involvement

New Zealand's active participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative contributes to our international commitment to stemming the illicit trade in WMD and contributing to a safer world.

Why is New Zealand involved?

Some might wonder why New Zealand, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, should need to be part of the Proliferation Security Initiative. What risk do weapons of mass destruction pose to us?

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and particularly 'dual-use' items - goods that have a legitimate purpose but also can be used to make weapons of mass destruction - can threaten international peace and security. This global problem needs a global solution.
Weapons traffickers use complex transport and financing networks to hide their trade. As global security tightens, proliferators and terrorists will look for new and less obvious transport routes.

We cannot rule out the possibility that New Zealand could be used as a staging point for the shipment of weapons of mass destruction complements. New Zealand and New Zealanders have long supported international non-proliferation efforts and our participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative acts as a deterrent to would-be traffickers.

New Zealand's involvement in the Proliferation Security Initiative helps strengthen our domestic capability to respond to a trafficking situation, as well as our ability to work internationally with other Proliferation Security Initiative countries.

Supporting the Proliferation Security Initiative contributes to the ongoing security of New Zealand, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world. New Zealand is a strong supporter of PSI and encourages other countries, particularly those in our region, to become actively involved.

How is New Zealand involved?

New Zealand has been a member of the Operational Experts Group (OEG), the main coordinating body of the Proliferation Security Initiative, since November 2004 and will lead the 2008 multi-national Exercise Maru. New Zealand also demonstrates its commitment to the Proliferation Security Initiative by:

• Seeking to broaden the Initiative by encouraging other countries, particularly in our region, to endorse PSI. For example, last year New Zealand hosted an outreach forum for Asia-Pacific countries that have not endorsed PSI and this year we will be incorporating an outreach component in Exercise Maru.
• Participating in Proliferation Security Initiative exercises. Taking part in Proliferation Security Initiative exercises allows New Zealand government agencies to test the adequacy of our domestic legislation an our ability to respond to potential proliferation threats as well as enhancing coordination between agencies at both domestic and international levels. For example New Zealand participated in a range of exercises, including tabletops and live exercises such as Exercise Pacific Protector in Australia in 2006, contributing a B757 aircraft to the live exercise and also participated in Exercise Pacific Shield in Japan in 2007, to which we contributed an Orion surveillance aircraft.
• Hosting PSI activities such as Exercise Maru, and a meeting of the Operational Experts Group in 2007 together with an Asia-Pacific Outreach Forum.
• Coordinating assistance to Pacific Island countries to comply with Security Council Resolution 1540 (which requires all states to prohibit the involvement of non-state actors, such as terrorist groups, in the production or possession of weapons of mass destruction, and calls upon states to take cooperative action to prevent trafficking in them).

A wide range of Government departments and agencies are engaged in PSI. Key agencies include the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Zealand Customs Service, the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence, and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.