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New Zealand and the Caribbean enjoy a friendly and constructive relationship across bilateral and multilateral settings. This is underpinned by a shared historical, sports, and Commonwealth ties. The relationship has seen practical and sustained growth in recent years, built on the foundations of common interests as fellow small states and cooperation on issues of mutual importance.
In early 2014, New Zealand established a High Commission in the region in Bridgetown, Barbados. Formalities to accredit the High Commissioner to other Caribbean countries and regional organisations are under way, these include: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The New Zealand High Commissioner resident in Ottawa is accredited to Jamaica. Formalities have been initiated to accredit the New Zealand Ambassador resident in Mexico City to Belize and the Dominican Republic, and the New Zealand Ambassador resident in Brasilia to SurinameThere has been a long history of trade links between New Zealand and the Caribbean. This modest but sustained trade has been largely characterised by New Zealand exports of dairy products and meat, and imports of spirits and small articles and accessories.
Total trade between New Zealand and CARICOM member states in 2013 was NZ$155 million, of which NZ$147 million were New Zealand exports.
There is a warm tradition of people-to-people links between New Zealand and the Caribbean, particularly in the area of education. A number of Caribbean students have been hosted through New Zealand government funded scholarship programmes, which were recently expanded.
Recent high level engagement between New Zealand and the Caribbean has been positive and sustained. In May 2013, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully became the first New Zealand minister to attend the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations meeting in Port of Spain. Minister McCully also visited the region in October 2012 and September 2013. In addition to these ministerial visits, Sir Don McKinnon visited the region as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy in July 2013 and thematic Special Envoys in the areas of renewable energy and disaster risk management visited in 2013.
An important part of engagement with the Caribbean is New Zealand’s commitment to practical and sustained development assistance. In September 2013, Prime Minister John Key announced a targeted Caribbean Development Programme, with an expected expenditure of NZ$5 million over four years. The programme will focus on the areas of renewable energy, disaster risk management and knowledge and skills. New Zealand has also been a strong contributor at the local level, having funded a number of community based projects focused on building resilience and human capacity.
New Zealand and the Caribbean share a strong tradition of mutual support and working cooperatively at the multilateral level, notably at the United Nations (UN) and the Commonwealth. A clear example of this collaboration is in the area of control of small arms. New Zealand and the Caribbean worked closely throughout the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty and will continue to do so through its implementation. New Zealand also makes an active and constructive contribution to other areas of mutual importance. These include renewable energy, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) issues, oceans management, nuclear non-proliferation, and non-communicable diseases.
New Zealand is represented in the Caribbean through its High Commission in Barbados. Other New Zealand missions with accreditation responsibility in the Caribbean include its High Commission in Ottawa and Embassies in Mexico City and Brasilia.
The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to the Caribbean
