The Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence periodically commissions research into New Zealand’s relationship with Latin America. This has included regular polling on New Zealanders’ perceptions of Latin America, as well as a study of the New Zealand-Latin America economic relationship.

You can read our previous reports in our Resources section.

Below is a list of the terms of reference for research we’re currently undertaking.

Crossing boundaries, connecting an ocean: New Zealand, Latin America and the Blue Pacific

Due: 4pm Wednesday, 14 February 2023

We have assessed that research into how New Zealanders, Latin Americans, and Pacific Islanders can work together on approaches to the Blue Pacific region could raise awareness of the extent of interests shared by these societies, uncover new opportunities for beneficial partnerships across the breadth of the South Pacific, support the objectives of the 2050 Blue Pacific Roadmap, weave Latin American nations into wider Pacific regional discourses and help align New Zealand policies approaches the South Pacific and Latin America in original, transformative and cost-effective ways.

The commissioned research will show how the peoples, governments or organisations, of the societies we now call New Zealand, Latin America and the South Pacific have previously interacted or interact today, then explore the potential for deeper collaborations between them in the future. It will discuss why these opportunities exist and the benefits they could bring to specific actors. Barriers that have restricted greater engagement between and within the rims of the South Pacific (including divisions inherited from colonial times) will be discussed, but arguments will also be offered as to why these barriers need not continue to limit fruitful partnerships between the peoples of the western, central, and eastern parts of this ocean.

Submitting an expression of interest to undertake research

If you want to submit an expression of interest to undertake the research, please email Matthew O’Meagher, the Director of the Latin America CAPE by the due date highlighted above.