Institute notes: National Office and branch activities.

• Position: New Zealand Institute of International Affairs

The National Office welcomed fourteen new corporate members and six new institutional members during the final quarter of 2003. Several more have joined in the early part of this year, bringing the numbers to 38 corporate and 39 institutional. A major objective for the National Office in 2004 will be delivering value to its new and longstanding members.

The first meeting for 2004 of the NZIIA's Standing Committee was held on 23 February with the President, Sir Kenneth Keith, in the chair.

The National Council will be held on 24 June. On the previous evening the annual dinner will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the NZIIA.

In his capacity as New Zealand Alternate Member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Director, Brian Lynch, attended ABAC's first meeting for the year in Miami, Florida, from 3 to 6 February 2004. He attended the NZIIA's new Napier-Hastings branch on 17 February, at which the Ambassador of Mexico spoke, and addressed the Masterton branch on 18 February.

On 3 March the National Office arranged a meeting to hear Foreign Minister for the Republic of Slovenia Dr Dimitrij Rupel speak on 'Slovenia and the European Union'.

Wellington

The following meetings were held:

29 Jan Don MacKay (New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations), 'The UN, post-9/11 and Iraq: An Update'.

12 Feb HE Dr Allan Hawke (Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand), 'The High Commissioner'. (The text of the first part of Dr Hawke's address can be found elsewhere in this issue. The second part will be published in the July-August issue.)

16 Feb James Morris (Executive Director of the World Food Programme).

24 Feb Dr Lydia Wevers, Colin James and Terence O'Brien, Gerald McGhie (moderator), 'That Was the Year that Was'.

15 Mar Professor...