The past, present and future of the NZIIA: New director Hamish McDougall sets out his vision for the institute.

• Author: McDougall, Hamish
• Position: INSIGHT

Kia ora koutou katoa. The New Zealand Institute of International Affairs/Whare Tawahi-a-mahi i Aotearoa has seen a lot in its nearly 90-year history. With the mid-1930s being an infamously calamitous time in international relations, the need to keep New Zealanders informed of the rapidly deteriorating global situation must have struck the founders as deeply important.

So, in a sense, things have not changed much. The world seems almost as disaster prone in the 2020s as it was in the 1930s. Like in those inter-war years, international affairs are having profound effects on the everyday lives of New Zealanders and others around the globe. Today, war is raging in Europe once again and there are evident tensions elsewhere. Adding to the current problems, a climate crisis threatens us all; the global COVID-19 pandemic has brought death, illness and disruption; technological change is occurring at a dizzying pace; and there is economic turbulence, polarisation and unrest in many societies, including our own. Such issues make the role of the NZIIA even more important.

Thankfully, the NZIIA is in a reasonably good position to deliver on its mission in 2022 and beyond. This is largely due to the efforts of Melanie Thornton, my predecessor as executive director, working with several key people in the governance structure to make much-needed changes. In the middle of last year, the NZIIA disbanded the old National Council and a plethora of committees to create a streamlined eight-person board, elected by NZIIA members. The national board has an impressive pedigree, with a range of backgrounds from government, academia, business and non-government organisations. Board members have been engaging and supportive since I began as executive director in January, and their continued advice and involvement will be critical to navigating the coming months.

The NZIIA Board is ready for further change. In November last year it adopted a strategic focus for the NZIIA in 2022-25. This restated the NZIIA's core purpose, prescribing that it should promote opportunities for expert discussion of international affairs, disseminate information, encourage public involvement and improve the NZIIA's administrative and financial performance. The board has asked me, as executive director, to formalise a strategic plan for the coming year to deliver on these areas of strategic focus. What follows are initial thoughts on how this strategic plan could look, which will be refined in consultation with the board, members and others in the coming weeks.

Well-placed organisation

The NZIIA is well placed to promote discussion on international relations. As an independent, non-political organisation, its ability to convene a wide variety of viewpoints is a distinct asset. To this end, you can expect to see panel events organised by the NZIIA National Office in the coming months that bring together people from government, business, academia and non-government organisations talking about important issues. Melding such views together creates richer discussion and better combined knowledge than if any one of those sectors was to simply project a view on its own.

In creating these discussions, it is important that the NZIIA engages experts; those that have thorough understanding either through access to...