Where is the Aspen NZ Security Dialogue held?

The dialogue takes place in Wellington, NZL.

When does the Aspen NZ Security Dialogue begin?

The dialogue is scheduled to begin on 2026-04-21T00:00:00Z.

Aspen NZ Security Dialogue

Name: Aspen NZ Security Dialogue
Start: 2026-04-21T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-04-21T00:00:00Z
Location: Wellington

Apr 21, 2026Wellington, New ZealandIn-person

Registration open

The Aspen NZ Security Dialogue, held in Wellington, NZL, serves as a critical forum for discussing contemporary security challenges. This event brings together diverse perspectives to foster understanding and collaboration on issues impacting regional and global stability. It offers a platform for in-depth analysis and strategic discussions among key stakeholders.

Committees & topics

Topics
Agriculture, Food Production & Biosecurity · Global Food Systems · Climate Pressures on the Indo-Pacific · Biosecurity Risks in a Connected World · Trade Tensions and the Rules-Based Order · Tourism, Aviation & Global Mobility · Geopolitical Disruption in the Indo-Pacific · Aviation Connectivity for a Distant Economy

Why it matters

This dialogue is significant because it convenes experts and policymakers in a focused setting to address complex security landscapes. The discussions held in Wellington contribute to a broader understanding of emerging threats and opportunities for cooperation. By facilitating open exchange, the event aims to identify pathways for enhancing security frameworks and promoting peaceful resolutions to international challenges.

The insights generated from this dialogue are particularly relevant given the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region. Understanding the nuanced security perspectives of nations within the region, such as NZL, becomes paramount. The event's focus on security in this context underscores the interconnectedness of global security and the importance of regional stability.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the Aspen NZ Security Dialogue, participants should undertake a thorough preparation process. Begin by researching the current geopolitical landscape and key security concerns relevant to NZL and the broader region. Familiarity with concepts such as "Dynamic Analysis" and "Engagement Strategies" will be beneficial for contributing to the discussions.

Consider the various stakeholders involved in security dialogues, including governmental, non-governmental, and academic actors. Understanding their potential motivations and positions, as outlined in lessons like "What Is Stakeholder Mapping?" and "Hidden Stakeholders," will enhance your ability to contribute meaningfully. Prepare to articulate your perspectives clearly and to actively listen to and integrate diverse viewpoints, fostering a collaborative environment.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

New Zealand

Aims to promote a stable and secure Indo-Pacific, balancing traditional alliances with independent foreign policy.

Role in topic

As the host nation, NZL plays a central role in facilitating dialogue on regional security. Its perspective often emphasizes multilateralism, international law, and the importance of addressing non-traditional security threats like climate change and cyber warfare. NZL seeks to contribute to a rules-based international order and maintain its sovereign interests while engaging with partners.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Agriculture, Food Production & Biosecurity

Agriculture remains the backbone of New Zealand's export economy, with dairy, meat, horticulture and forestry accounting for the majority of merchandise exports. The sector has long been exposed to overlapping pressures: volatile commodity markets, shifting consumer demand in key Asian destinations, and a tightening regulatory environment around emissions, water quality and land use. Since the 2017 Mycoplasma bovis incursion and the COVID-19 supply-chain shocks of 2020-2022, biosecurity has been reframed not as a narrow agricultural concern but as a core element of national economic security. The contemporary debate centres on how to maintain productivity and market access while managing climate obligations under the Paris Agreement, pricing agricultural emissions, and defending against pathogens such as foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever and fruit fly incursions arriving via expanded trade and tourism. New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries and Biosecurity New Zealand coordinate with Australia under the Trans-Tasman framework, while sanitary and phytosanitary standards are negotiated through the WTO and Codex Alimentarius. The unresolved question is whether existing institutions can keep pace with the combined velocity of climate, trade and pathogen risk.

Key players

New Zealand
Primary-sector exporter balancing biosecurity, emissions policy and market access
Australia
Closest biosecurity partner under the Trans-Tasman framework
China
Largest single market for NZ dairy, meat and forestry exports
United States
Major agricultural market and standard-setter on SPS measures
EUU
Source of stringent sustainability and traceability standards via the NZ-EU FTA

Global Food Systems

Global food systems have come under sustained stress since the late 2010s. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of just-in-time logistics, while Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 disrupted Black Sea grain, fertiliser and energy flows, pushing the FAO Food Price Index to record highs in March 2022. The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit attempted to coordinate a transition toward more resilient, equitable and sustainable production, but follow-through has been uneven, with subsidies, export restrictions and stockpiling fragmenting the global market. For a small, trade-dependent food exporter such as New Zealand, the question is how to position itself within a system that is simultaneously decarbonising, regionalising and politicising. Debates revolve around the role of protein diversification, the future of fertiliser supply chains, the SDG 2 target on ending hunger by 2030 (now widely considered off-track), and how producers, importers and humanitarian agencies share the cost of resilience.

Key players

Climate Pressures on the Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is warming faster than the global average, and climate change is now treated as a first-order security issue in New Zealand's Defence Policy and Strategy Statements. Pacific Island Forum leaders, through the 2018 Boe Declaration and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, have repeatedly identified climate change as the single greatest threat to regional security. Sea-level rise, more intense tropical cyclones, ocean acidification and freshwater stress are already reshaping habitability, fisheries and sovereignty debates across Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. Globally, the gap between Paris Agreement pledges and the emissions trajectory remains wide, with the UNEP Emissions Gap Reports consistently warning of a 2.5-2.9°C pathway under current policies. Negotiations over the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund agreed at COP27 and the Global Stocktake at COP28 have exposed deep divides between developed and developing states. For New Zealand, the policy challenge is reconciling domestic decarbonisation with regional climate finance commitments and the security implications of displacement and state fragility in the Pacific.

Key players

Biosecurity Risks in a Connected World

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored how rapidly biological threats can cascade through global trade, travel and health systems. Beyond human pandemics, recent years have seen the global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 into new species and geographies, persistent African swine fever outbreaks across Eurasia, and repeated incursions of plant pests such as brown marmorated stink bug and fall armyworm. For island nations like New Zealand, geographic isolation has historically been a biosecurity advantage that is being eroded by volume of trade, tourism and climate-driven range shifts. Multilateral responses are evolving. The WHO Pandemic Agreement and amended International Health Regulations, negotiated through 2024-2025, attempt to strengthen surveillance, equitable access to countermeasures and rapid information sharing. The Biological Weapons Convention review process continues to grapple with verification and dual-use research of concern. Domestically, the Government Industry Agreement on biosecurity readiness and response remains the principal cost-sharing mechanism between the Crown and primary-sector partners.

Key players

Trade Tensions and the Rules-Based Order

The post-Cold War consensus on trade liberalisation has frayed since the mid-2010s. The US-China tariff escalation that began in 2018, the paralysis of the WTO Appellate Body since December 2019, and the surge in industrial policy through the US Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS Act and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism have all signalled a shift toward strategic competition and selective decoupling. Export controls on advanced semiconductors, critical minerals and dual-use technologies have proliferated, while sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine have further fragmented the trading system. New Zealand, as a small open economy, has relied heavily on rules-based trade and a diversified FTA portfolio including CPTPP, RCEP, the NZ-EU FTA and the upgraded NZ-China FTA. The current debate is about how middle powers can preserve open markets while navigating tariff threats, weaponised interdependence and demands to align on technology controls. WTO reform, plurilateral coalitions and the future of digital trade rules under JSI negotiations are central to that conversation.

Key players

Tourism, Aviation & Global Mobility

International tourism collapsed in 2020 under COVID-19 border closures and has rebuilt unevenly. UNWTO data show global arrivals returning to roughly pre-pandemic levels by 2024, but with shifted patterns: slower recovery in long-haul Asia-Pacific markets, higher airfares, constrained airline capacity and renewed scrutiny of overtourism in Europe. For New Zealand, where tourism was the largest export earner before COVID, the rebuild has been complicated by aircraft availability, workforce shortages and the long distances that make the country particularly sensitive to fuel costs and aviation policy. Mobility is also being reshaped by visa diplomacy, migration politics and climate considerations. ICAO's CORSIA scheme, the IMO's net-zero shipping framework and the EU's inclusion of aviation in its Emissions Trading System are pushing decarbonisation costs through the system, while Sustainable Aviation Fuel supply remains constrained. The committee must weigh how tourism-dependent economies can diversify, decarbonise and remain resilient to future mobility shocks.

Key players

Geopolitical Disruption in the Indo-Pacific

Strategic competition between the United States and China has become the organising feature of Indo-Pacific security. AUKUS, announced in September 2021, the Quad's revival, expanded US basing in the Philippines under EDCA, and China's 2022 security agreement with Solomon Islands have all reshaped the regional architecture. Tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula run alongside Russia's war in Ukraine and deepening Russia-DPRK military cooperation, producing a more contested and multipolar order. New Zealand has historically balanced its Five Eyes intelligence relationship and ANZUS legacy with an independent foreign policy tradition and significant economic ties to China. Successive Defence Policy Statements (2018, 2023) and the 2023 National Security Strategy describe a sharper threat environment, raising debates over AUKUS Pillar 2 participation, defence spending, and Pacific engagement. The committee will examine how small and middle powers maintain agency amid great-power disruption.

Key players

Aviation Connectivity for a Distant Economy

Aviation is a strategic lifeline for New Zealand, supporting tourism, high-value perishable exports, diaspora links and Pacific connectivity. The sector has not fully normalised since COVID-19: global airframe and engine shortages, Pratt & Whitney GTF inspection issues affecting Air New Zealand's A320neo fleet, and constrained widebody capacity have raised fares and thinned routes. Pacific connectivity in particular depends on a small number of carriers and subsidised routes, leaving smaller island states vulnerable to schedule cuts. Looking forward, decarbonisation pressure is intensifying through ICAO's long-term aspirational goal of net-zero by 2050, CORSIA's offsetting requirements, and emerging mandates for Sustainable Aviation Fuel in the EU, UK and Singapore. New Zealand's distance from major markets makes the SAF supply question existential for long-term competitiveness. The committee will consider how to secure resilient connectivity, share the costs of decarbonisation, and ensure that Pacific neighbours are not left behind as the sector transitions.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Aspen NZ Security Dialogue.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Europe's June Heatwave: Infrastructure Crisis

India, South Korea Forge Five-Year Plan

Nabha Security Incident Exposes Punjab Issues

Frank Garcia Takes Over Africa Desk

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

New Zealand April 2026

By committee

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Frequently asked questions

Aspen NZ Security Dialogue

Apr 21, 2026Wellington, New ZealandIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Agriculture, Food Production & Biosecurity · Global Food Systems · Climate Pressures on the Indo-Pacific · Biosecurity Risks in a Connected World · Trade Tensions and the Rules-Based Order · Tourism, Aviation & Global Mobility · Geopolitical Disruption in the Indo-Pacific · Aviation Connectivity for a Distant Economy

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

New Zealand

Aims to promote a stable and secure Indo-Pacific, balancing traditional alliances with independent foreign policy.

Role in topic

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Agriculture, Food Production & Biosecurity

Key players

New Zealand
Primary-sector exporter balancing biosecurity, emissions policy and market access
Australia
Closest biosecurity partner under the Trans-Tasman framework
China
Largest single market for NZ dairy, meat and forestry exports
United States
Major agricultural market and standard-setter on SPS measures
EUU
Source of stringent sustainability and traceability standards via the NZ-EU FTA

Global Food Systems

Key players

Climate Pressures on the Indo-Pacific

Key players

Biosecurity Risks in a Connected World

Key players

Trade Tensions and the Rules-Based Order

Key players

Tourism, Aviation & Global Mobility

Key players

Geopolitical Disruption in the Indo-Pacific

Key players

Aviation Connectivity for a Distant Economy

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Aspen NZ Security Dialogue.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Europe's June Heatwave: Infrastructure Crisis

India, South Korea Forge Five-Year Plan

Nabha Security Incident Exposes Punjab Issues

Frank Garcia Takes Over Africa Desk

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

New Zealand April 2026

By committee

Explore more conferences

Browse all Professional conferences

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

Explore more conferences

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

Explore more conferences

Frequently asked questions