The leaders of New Zealand and Spain have officially launched a new Global Values Partnership while meeting in Madrid for the 2022 NATO Summit.
In a meeting between the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez and Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, the leaders celebrated the decision to elevate relations between the nations.
In a statement the leaders said the Global Values Partnership is based on the global outlook and common values that both countries share and their desire to support a rules-based international order through greater and better cooperation, including multilaterally.
“Both countries support and celebrate diversity and are determined to advance in their respective foreign policies values such as inclusive and more equal societies, a greener and more sustainable economy, and a vibrant and resilient democracy in which pluralism flourishes and is reinforced thanks to the technological revolution,” they stated.
“The Partnership will seek to strengthen democracy, sustainability, gender equality and the empowerment of women, the Rule of Law, Human Rights, with special emphasis on the full exercise of the same by members of indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups.”
In launching the Global Values Partnership, Spain and New Zealand commit to more closely coordinate their efforts to address global challenges based on values-based foreign policy, and advance an agenda of strengthened rules-based multilateralism in which the United Nations occupies a central place, adapted to undertake the fundamental transformations of our time and to better prepare our societies for the future.
In addition to collaboration under the Global Values Partnership, the two nations will take advantage of the opportunities offered by their participation in the Leaders Network ‘Reinforcing Multilateralism Together’ and their support for the Christchurch Call to Action and will continue to seek opportunities to carry out concrete actions in defence of modern, democratic, and internationalist values, the leaders said.
The pair also took the opportunity to greet the signing late last year of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Seabird Conservation, and said they looked forward to the establishment of an implementation plan, under which New Zealand and Spain would work together to reduce the risk posed by commercial fishing to seabird populations with a particular emphasis on endangered species of seabirds, including the Antipodean Albatross.
They agreed that the two countries would review progress on the first anniversary of the MoU, in December 2022. The also acknowledged the shared work started under the Global Values Partnership on issues related to gender equality and judicial approaches to gender violence.
“Reflecting New Zealand’s and Spain’s efforts to strengthen the ties between our two peoples and to deepen our reconnection as we emerge from the COVID pandemic, both leaders announced a significant increase to the reciprocal working holiday scheme and a commitment to continue working on the modalities of the scheme, so more young people can temporarily live, work, and travel within each other’s countries,” the leaders’ statement said.
Ms Ardern is visiting Spain to participate in the Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as one of NATO’s four Asia Pacific partners.
