New Zealand is facing a more challenging strategic environment than it has for decades, with increasing threats to our security including from the impacts of climate change.
The Ministry is currently undertaking a Defence Policy Review to provide a roadmap on how to meet those challenges. It’s first two products – a Defence Policy and Strategy Statement and Future Force Design Principles have been released and work is underway on options for the development of a Defence Capability Plan.
This work builds on the Defence Assessment released in December 2021. It describes a much more challenging strategic environment for New Zealand than in recent decades. It identified principal challenges coming from growing strategic competition and the increasing impacts of climate change.
Defence must focus on those issues that matter most to New Zealand’s security. This includes prioritising efforts to protect and promote Pacific security, stability, and resilience. A need also existed to stabilise and grow our capability in order to meet the challenges of our changed strategic environment.
As a small but globally connected nation, New Zealand relies on partnerships to meet its defence interests and Defence needs to work with security partners be able to contribute meaningfully in the region and beyond.
A programme of engagement with partners, academia, veterans, the public and Defence industry was undertaken in 2023 to help inform the Defence Policy Review.
