National Office and branch activities.

• Position: INSTITUTE NOTES

On 3 November, in a Zoom event, Foreign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta gave a presentation entitled 'New Zealand's Pacific Engagement: Partnering for Resilience'. She reflected on New Zealand's values-based approach to Pacific engagement and how we can work together to build a resilient region. Dame Winnie Laban moderated the session.

Hamish McDougall has been appointed as NZIIA director. More details will be provided in the next issue.

Auckland

Efforts are being made to resuscitate the branch following the precipitate departure of chair Greg Thwaites.

Wairarapa

The following meetings were held:

21 Oct Scott Thomson (NZIIA life member) and Ray Stewart (former executive secretary of the World Peace Council), 'The Russian Enigma'.

18 Nov Prof Kevin Clements (director of the Toda Peace Institute, Tokyo, and formerly of the New Zealand Peace and Conflict Studies Centre at the University of Otago), 'Nuclear Disarmament--the Pugwash Conferences'.

Wellington

A roundtable discussion was held with HE Edgardo Valdes Lopez, ambassador of Cuba, on 2 November and another, on 'The New Zealand-Philippines Relationship: The Next 55 Years', was held with Philippines Ambassador HE Gary Do HE Muktesh K. Pardeshi, India's high commissioner to New Zealand, holds a roundtable discussion with NZIIA members on 6 October mingo on the...