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Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
If you come across a term that isn't included in the Glossary please send us an email.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is the Government’s lead adviser and operational arm on foreign and trade policy and diplomatic and consular issues, as well as on overseas development assistance through the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID), a semi-autonomous body within the Ministry. The Ministry also provides international legal advice to the Government. The Ministry is the internationally recognised channel for the Government’s communications to and from other governments and international organisations.
The Ministry reports to Ministers in three portfolio areas: Foreign Affairs; Trade; Disarmament and Arms Control. NZAID reports on Official Development Assistance.
Under the current arrangement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Responsible Minister who oversees the Government’s ownership interest in the Ministry. The Ministry administers two Votes on behalf of the Minister – Vote: Foreign Affairs and Trade; Vote: Official Development Assistance.
There is currently a separate Minister of Trade and Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control. Previously the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio areas were combined.
The Ministry’s mission is to ensure that New Zealand’s security and prosperity interests are advanced and protected; our voice is heard abroad.
NZAID’s mission is to work towards achievement of the vision of a “safe and just world free of poverty”. Its main outcome is: Poverty eliminated through development partnerships.
The Ministry fulfils its role in three main ways:
The Ministry provides advice on the management of the Government’s foreign and trade policies abroad, including its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes; conducts the Government’s relations with other countries and international organisations; advocates and represents New Zealand’s positions and views; and negotiates agreements on behalf of New Zealand.
The Ministry works by developing and sustaining relationships with other governments and international organisations, and by accruing and exerting influence on them over time to accommodate New Zealand positions in the decisions they take. The Ministry’s main tools are presence, persuasion and negotiation. These are used to undertake specific initiatives and interventions on behalf of the Government. Resources include offshore posts and a global communications network. The Ministry also supports travelling Ministers and official delegations.
Overseas Posts: The Ministry currently operates 53 posts overseas (including Embassies, High Commissions, Permanent Missions, Consulates-General). (Please see map.)
The Chief Executive of the Ministry chairs the External Relations and Defence network (ERD), comprising over 30 agencies involved in managing and implementing the Government’s external policies. Numerous inter-agency sub-groups meet on specific issues, ranging from cooperation with the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in peace support operations, to joint activities with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) to advance the internationalisation of New Zealand business.
The Heads of New Zealand diplomatic posts abroad are authorised to ensure that all New Zealand Government agencies in a country operate in a coherent and aligned way in pursuit of the Government’s goals. Guidelines to assist this process, the Framework for NZ Inc Operations Offshore, were approved in 2007. The Ministry’s overseas posts currently provide accommodation and support to some 130 officers from other Government agencies. Ministry staff also deliver services on behalf of other agencies.top of page
The Ministry provides consular advice and services to New Zealanders abroad, through the travel advisories on its SafeTravel website, and by direct assistance via its overseas posts. (see the section on Strategic Foreign and Trade Policy Issues)
The Ministry also helps New Zealanders at home learn more about the world and encourages them to contribute views on the direction of New Zealand’s foreign and development policy. The Ministry’s domestic stakeholders include business organisations, academia and the media, Maori, non-government organisations (NGOs) and specific interest groups. Engagement with the wider community helps the Ministry to represent New Zealand’s identity and values abroad. The private sector has a key role in the Ministry’s work to negotiate Closer Economic Partnerships/Free Trade Agreements with other countries.
The Ministry currently has five overarching, Cabinet-mandated Intermediate or Strategic Outcomes. These are:
These outcomes are achieved by a variety of mechanisms as set out in the Ministry’s Strategic Framework (see below). The Ministry draws on two key cross-organisational services: legal advice and treaty diplomacy; and effective public affairs at home and public diplomacy abroad.
