Gehan Gunasekara: Don’t rest on nuclear laurels

During the course of the election campaign, foreign policy was often the focus for debate but, unfortunately, not in any positive sense.

Much was made of maintaining our nuclear-free status. However, this is only to tread water. The vision held by David Lange and those who supported him was surely bigger than this.

Standing still in a world where proliferation is rife and the established nuclear powers continue to develop their arsenals is certainly not a recipe for enhanced security.

Although the Cold War has ended, the world is little safer as a consequence.

On the one hand, the nuclear old boys' club (with India as a new member) are determined to pull up the ladder behind them.

On the other hand, determined and resourceful nations such as Iran have challenged this set of double standards, or nuclear apartheid as they describe it.

They have exercised their rights, consistent with the non-proliferation treaty, to fully develop the technology needed for nuclear power.

The United States has signalled its intention to develop a new generation of atomic weapons, including bunker-busting bombs, while at the same time developing its Star Wars shield to protect it from nuclear attack by others.

What role can New Zealand play in this brave new world?

Should we be content to rest on our laurels in splendid isolation, having declared ourselves free of weapons of mass destruction, only to watch the rest of the world blow itself to smithereens?

On a relatively small scale, New Zealand has already played a decisive role in conflict resolution. East Timor, the Solomons and Bougainville are examples.

However, we can be much more ambitious and use the goodwill we already enjoy from these successes for even greater good.

In this respect our efforts have been eclipsed by those of other small nations, such as Norway.

Our independent foreign policy and advocacy of disarmament have given New Zealand international mana. We really can be an honest broker in many conflicts

One such conflict that seems likely to escalate is the standoff between Iran and the West.

Whoever becomes Foreign Minister should be dispatched to both Tehran and Washington and immediately offer our good offices to both parties.

New Zealand was one of a very few countries to maintain a diplomatic presence in the Iranian capital during the hostage crisis 20 years ago.

Since then, links - including trade - have been strong. The fact that the Iranians take us seriously was demonstrated by the visit here of their Foreign Minister.

On what basis can this intractable dispute be resolved? The US approach thus far has been to lecture and threaten Iran while offering little in return.

Such an approach might work if the US were in a strong bargaining position, but this is not the case. Partly as a result of its Iraq imbroglio, it is the Americans who are in a relatively weak position - and the Iranians know it.

Genuine negotiations require both sides to make concessions. One concession the Americans might reasonably be asked to make is to give up all plans for miniature nukes in exchange for Iran renouncing nuclear weapons.

Another might be indefinite postponement of the Star Wars programme.

International relations are often more about respect than material benefits.

In this case, both parties stand to gain respectability.

Verification by an independent watchdog would need to be imposed on both parties.

Such an agreement would be a small one but would mark a real step along the road to genuine nuclear disarmament.

It is one New Zealand should pursue with vigour.

* Gehan Gunasekara lectures in the School of Business and Economics at the University of Auckland.