KEY POINTS:
A new and expanded role for New Zealand in international conflict resolution, with a focus on the Pacific, is proposed in Labour's foreign policy which was released today.
Cabinet minister Phil Goff, a former foreign minister, said a Labour-led government would look at assembling conflict resolution teams and giving the United Nations a list of New Zealanders who had the skills to be personal envoys.
"New Zealand has a reputation as a country which thinks independently and makes a strong contribution in areas like peacekeeping, disarmament, inter-faith dialogue and development assistance," Mr Goff said.
"We can leverage off this to expand our contribution to conflict resolution."
Mr Goff said in other areas of foreign policy Labour was committed to working with others to tackle the causes of the world's financial crisis.
"Clearly, we need much stronger global regulatory and supervisory structures and greater transparency to prevent the sort of extravagance, recklessness and greed which have contributed to current problems," he said.
Trade policy would continue to set free trade agreements as a priority.
- NZPA
