UnitedFuture is committed to an ethical foreign policy, based on international justice, human rights, human security and democracy. Our policy is therefore built on the principles of our country’s constructive multilateral engagement with other states to build a safe and globally connected world, and to promote the freedom and equality of all its peoples as follows.
Key issues:
- Contributing to successful peacekeeping and peace building operations
- Encouraging economic development and political stability in the Pacific region
- Securing Free Trade Agreements with important trading partners
Human Security
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Promote international peace and human security in international affairs – the freedom from want and fear, oppression, hunger, disease and war.
- Retain New Zealand's nuclear-free status and international leadership on disarmament issues, actively striving to achieve a world free from nuclear weapons.
- Continue to advocate for disarmament and non-proliferation of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons and technologies and anti-civilian munitions such as cluster bombs and land mines.
- Monitor and fulfill New Zealand’s obligations under human rights conventions.
- Continue to work towards the Millennium Development Goals and The International Development Targets.
- Establish overseas aid at 0.5% of GDP immediately and reach the accepted international millennium goal of 0.7% by 2015.
- Encourage young New Zealanders to volunteer overseas.
- Encourage the promotion and strengthening of democracy throughout the international community.
- Play an active role in the fight against violent terrorist organisations, corruption, money laundering, cyber-crime and drug and people trafficking.
- Reach a multi-party accord on ten year defence and capital equipment funding for the New Zealand Defence Force so that it is well equipped to meet peacekeeping, peace building, humanitarian and disaster relief operations. We like the concept of having, ‘the best small integrated defence force in the world’.
- Fulfill New Zealand’s commitment to refugees and encourage inward immigration of key workers and international students’ whilst developing incentives for New Zealanders to stay in New Zealand.
Institutional and Multilateral Engagement
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Promote reform of the United Nations through broadening the membership of the Security Council, and the abolition of the veto.
- Play an active role in and support the United Nations and its agencies as the primary international organisation in resolving disputes, conflict and finding solutions to global problems.
- Actively promote the rights of new and emerging democracies to participate fully in the work of international organisations.
- Support the contribution of NGO's in issues of international development.
- Support free and fair trade and embrace free trade agreements and pacts where there is a reasonable opportunity for New Zealand to benefit, and where New Zealand's unique comparative advantages are preserved;
- Pursue Free Trade Agreements with key trading partners, with a particular focus on India, Japan, the US and Korea.
- Lobby for a better deal for NZ businesses and exporters, including the agricultural sector, with the expanded European Union.
- Fully support regular international and regional meetings (e.g. APEC and CHOGM) and support a bid for New Zealand to host the World Trade Expo within the next ten years.
- Emphasise our developing relationships with Asia and the Pacific Rim, while recognising historical links with the Commonwealth and other parts of the world.
- Continue to support the cancellation of third world debt. Investment by these nations in human development should take priority over debt repayments.
- Support the right to self determination of the people of Taiwan and Tibet.
The Pacific
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Encourage the democratisation and development of Pacific nations.
- Assist in the peaceful resolution of Asia-Pacific issues by offering intermediary facilities, resources and expertise.
- Promote regional agreement on trans-national law and order issues across the South Pacific issues.
- Support the Pacific Islands Forum in encouraging good governance, economic development and political stability in the Pacific Region.