New Zealand's national security framework: A recommendation for the development of a national security strategy

Abstract

New Zealand’s national security system is based upon a collection of siloed plans and policies. New Zealand has adopted an ‘all-hazards/all-risks’ approach to national security that is based upon a reactive system. There does not exist a national security strategy that seeks to address emerging security threats. In essence, New Zealand’s approach is oriented to ‘wait for the crisis to occur before acting’. Much of the literature relating to national security is overly theoretical, which does not assist in the development of a New Zealand national security strategy. This research examines academic theory and New Zealand’s policies and plans that relate to national security in order to identify the gap between theory and policy. It is recommended that New Zealand develop a national security strategy that is based on a concept of the protection of a citizens ‘normal way of life’. This concept provides the strategy with ‘what should be protected’. By successfully focusing on this concept, it will allow New Zealand citizens to go about their daily business free from fear. Building upon this concept, a national security strategy is proposed that would take a forward-looking risk reduction approach to five emerging security threats facing New Zealand. These are: The Cyber threat, the Terrorist threat, Climate Change, Biosecurity, and threats to Territorial Security. This would enable the New Zealand government agencies responsible for supporting national security the ability to develop capabilities to meet these threats. Although New Zealand articulates a whole-of-government approach to national security, the individual plans and policies relating to national security are not connected. There is a deficiency in collaboration and commonality between government agencies within the national security framework, which could be improved with the implementation of a national security strategy that is focussed on emerging threats and allowing New Zealanders to live free from fear.