--- title: "Aspen NZ Security Dialogue 2026 — Wellington" description: "Aspen NZ Security Dialogue is a professional conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Apr 21, 2026. Organized by Aspeninstitute. Full prep on Model Diplomat." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/conferences/professional/aspen-nz-security-dialogue-2026" --- # Aspen NZ Security Dialogue Apr 21, 2026[Wellington, New Zealand](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1\&query=Wellington%2C%20New%C2%A0Zealand)In-person [Registration open](https://www.aspeninstitute.org.nz/all-events) 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](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/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](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Aims to promote a stable and secure Indo-Pacific, balancing traditional alliances with independent foreign policy.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [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.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) ## Topics & background The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it. 1 ### 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](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Primary-sector exporter balancing biosecurity, emissions policy and market access](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Closest biosecurity partner under the Trans-Tasman framework](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Largest single market for NZ dairy, meat and forestry exports](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Major agricultural market and standard-setter on SPS measures](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - EUU Source of stringent sustainability and traceability standards via the NZ-EU FTA 2 ### 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 - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Efficient food exporter advocating open agricultural trade](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Ukraine](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ukraine) [Key grain and oilseed supplier whose exports remain wartime-constrained](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ukraine) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Major grain and fertiliser exporter shaping global price dynamics](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Large producer-consumer whose export restrictions ripple through world markets](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) - [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Leading exporter of soy, beef and sugar driving Southern Hemisphere supply](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Largest food importer and strategic stockpiler](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) 3 ### 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 - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Pacific partner channelling climate finance and adaptation support](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Co-host bidder for COP31 and major regional emitter](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [Fiji](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/fiji) [Pacific leader on loss and damage and ocean diplomacy](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/fiji) - [Tuvalu](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/tuvalu) [Frontline state advancing legal arguments on statehood and sea-level rise](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/tuvalu) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Largest emitter and expanding development financier in the Pacific](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Major emitter and re-engaging Pacific partner via the Compacts of Free Association](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) 4 ### 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 - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Island biosecurity regime balancing trade openness and pathogen exclusion](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Trans-Tasman partner with aligned border and surveillance systems](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [High-volume trade partner and key source of zoonotic surveillance data](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Leading funder of WHO and CEPI and major biotech regulator](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [Switzerland](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/switzerland) [Host of WHO and central node in pandemic-treaty negotiations](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/switzerland) 5 ### 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 - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Driver of tariffs, export controls and industrial policy](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Largest goods trader and target of Western technology restrictions](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Small open economy defending the rules-based trading system](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Partner navigating coercive trade measures and critical-minerals strategy](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [Japan](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [CPTPP convenor and leader on supply-chain resilience](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) - [Singapore](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) [Like-minded trade hub advancing digital-economy agreements](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) 6 ### 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 - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Long-haul tourism destination dependent on aviation connectivity](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Largest source market and trans-Tasman aviation partner](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [High-value visitor market whose recovery remains incomplete](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Major source market and home of leading carriers and aircraft makers](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [Singapore](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) [Key Asian hub and one-stop gateway for NZ travellers](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) 7 ### 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 - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Lead architect of Indo-Pacific deterrence and alliance networks](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Rising power expanding maritime and Pacific influence](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [AUKUS member and primary NZ security partner](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Independent foreign-policy actor weighing closer minilateral alignment](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Japan](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [Frontline US ally rearming and leading regional diplomacy](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Revisionist power deepening ties with DPRK and challenging the order](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) 8 ### 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 - [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Geographically remote economy reliant on long-haul air links](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Trans-Tasman partner and joint Pacific aviation stakeholder](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) - [Singapore](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) [Critical hub for NZ-Europe and Asia routings, and SAF policy leader](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) - [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Gulf carrier hub linking NZ to Europe, Africa and South Asia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Key long-haul market and home of major aircraft manufacturers](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [Fiji](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/fiji) [Pacific aviation hub central to regional connectivity](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/fiji) ## 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](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/europes-june-heatwave-infrastructure-crisis) [India, South Korea Forge Five-Year Plan](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/india-south-korea-forge-five-year-plan) [Nabha Security Incident Exposes Punjab Issues](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/nabha-security-incident-highlights-punjabs-ongoing-challenges) [Frank Garcia Takes Over Africa Desk](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/frank-garcia-takes-over-africa-desk) Lessons Bite-sized lessons to build the basics [Hidden Stakeholders](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders) [Engagement Strategies](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/engagement-strategies) [Dynamic Analysis](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/dynamic-analysis) [Stakeholder Mapping Workshop](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/stakeholder-workshop) Courses Guided courses that go deeper on the topic [Advanced Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/advanced-negotiation) [Multilateral Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/multilateral-negotiation) [Policy Brief Writing](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/policy-brief) [Conflict Resolution](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/conflict-resolution) The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance [New Zealand](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/new-zealand) [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Ukraine](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ukraine) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ukraine) [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Fiji](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/fiji) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/fiji) [Tuvalu](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/tuvalu) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/tuvalu) [Switzerland](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/switzerland) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/switzerland) [Japan](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [Singapore](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/singapore) [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) ## Frequently asked questions - - Free account Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free. 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