Institute notes: National Office and branch activities.

On 19 August HE David Daly (the European Union's ambassador to Australia and to New Zealand) gave a presentation on 'The European Union and New Zealand, the Pacific and Asia'.

On 22 August Dr Alan Bollard (executive director of the APEC Secretariat, Singapore) addressed a meeting at Victoria University on 'APEC in a Very Different Asia Pacific'. Five days later HE Judge Sir Kenneth Keith, the first New Zealander to be elected a judge of the International Court of Justice, did the same on the topic '100 Years of the Peace Palace: Prospects for International Adjudication and Arbitration'. (The edited text of this address is to be found elsewhere in this issue.)

On 23 September the 6th NZIIA/JIIA (Japan Institute of International Affairs) Track 1.5 Dialogue was held in Wellington. It was co-hosted by the Asia:NZ Foundation and NZIIA and formally opened by the NZIIA's acting president, Professor Rob Rabel. This was the first time this dialogue has been held in New Zealand (as previous sessions were in Tokyo). Topics included Chinas growing influence and its relationship with the United States, regional economic architecture, and a special item on the Middle East and in particular the situation in Syria (which Professor Bill Harris from Otago University led on).

Auckland

The following meetings were held:

23 Sep Lyndon Burford (Auckland University political studies doctoral candidate), 'New Zealand in the Modern Nuclear World'.

26 Sep Professor Alexander Gillespie (Waikato University), Grant Bayldon (CEO of Amnesty International) and Barry Wilson (president of Auckland Civil Liberties), with Treasa Dunworth in the chair, 'The Arms Trade Treaty: Will it Curb the Power of the Gun?' (in association with the Auckland branch of the International Law Association).

Christchurch

The following meetings were held:

16 Sep Prof Alex Tan (professor of political science, University of Canterbury), 'Three's a Crowd: US--China--Taiwan Triangular Relations'.

9 Oct Prof Karen Scott (professor of law, University of Canterbury), 'The Ross Sea MPA: Law, Politics and Fishing in the "Last Ocean".'

Hawke's Bay

In August Roger Mortlock spoke about the peacekeeping intervention in Bougainville. In September the Korean ambassador reviewed the situation in north-east Asia with regard to the Korean peninsula.

Nelson

On 9 August the ambassador of Mexico, HE Leonora Rueda, addrressed the branch on 'Mexico and New Zealand: Close Pacific Neighbours'.

Palmerston North

On 4...