Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wants Māori identity and those connections to the Pacific showcased when New Zealand hosts the Pacific Islands Forum next year, despite ongoing criticism of his government’s relationship with Māori.
Asked whether there was a contradiction between promoting that relationship to Pacific leaders and the state of Māori-Crown relations at home, Luxon rejected the suggestion outright, saying his government gave effect to Te Tiriti by delivering better outcomes for Māori.
New Zealand will host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Auckland in 2027 and has now joined the Forum Troika alongside Palau and Solomon Islands, giving it an expanded regional leadership role in the lead-up to next year’s meeting.
Reflecting at the conclusion of the leaders’ retreat in Palau late last week, Luxon emphasised that hosting the Forum presents a unique platform to highlight not only the country’s broad Pacific relationships, but its distinct indigenous identity and the deep ties binding Māori to the wider region.
“We’re the biggest Polynesian country in the world, and so it’s a great chance for us to showcase our Pacific connections, but also tangata whenua connections as well,” Luxon stated.
“And so to showcase our unique Māori cultural identity and that connection between Māori actually and the Pacific is actually going to be pretty cool.”
While the specifics and planning of the program remain underway with roughly a year left to shape the agenda, the commitment comes against a backdrop of debate surrounding the coalition government’s approach to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori-Crown relations.
The government’s ongoing review of Treaty clauses across legislation, including proposals to water down provisions to a “take into account” standard triggered an urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry.
The Tribunal found the legislative process damaged the Crown-Māori relationship, urging immediate steps toward repair.
This also coincides with other contentious policy shifts, including changes to Māori wards, Oranga Tamariki’s section 7AA, and the Marine and Coastal Area Act.
Challenged on how a credible relationship with Māori can be presented to international leaders amid domestic criticism, Luxon dismissed the premise.
“I disagree with that outright,” he said. “If you really want to honour the Treaty, what you got to do is lift outcomes for Māori.”
Highlighting positive metrics, Luxon pointed to drops in youth offending and Māori crime victimisation, rising childhood immunisation rates, and housing initiatives executed in partnership with iwi nationwide.
“I appreciate people may comment on that, but I think the best thing I can do to give effect to the Treaty is actually to be a good Crown partner by delivering better outcomes for Māori. I think we’re doing that as a government.”
Aotearoa takes the regional reins
Stepping into the Forum Troika alongside Palau and Solomon Islands means New Zealand will share political oversight and strategic direction, positioning the country at the core of regional decision-making for the first time in over a decade.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters stressed that the expanded mandate requires ensuring the upcoming Auckland summit delivers tangible, concrete benefits for the region.
For Luxon, economic development is a core priority to boost collective prosperity and drive regional well-being.
It follows a Palau Forum defined by high-stakes challenges, spanning climate change, security, transnational crime, and rising geopolitical pressures.
Climate, security and an Ocean of Peace
Palau President and Forum chair Surangel Whipps Jr confirmed that leaders reinforced their climate advocacy, aiming to keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C threshold alive while backing a new Pacific Gender Climate Pact.
On the security front, leaders endorsed a Regional Peace and Security Action Plan to combat the surge of transnational crime and illicit drug trafficking. Luxon singled out methamphetamine as a critical regional threat demanding tighter intelligence-sharing and cooperation among police, customs, and defence forces.
Discussions also addressed recent geopolitical friction, including concern over an unannounced intercontinental ballistic missile test that overflew member states. Under the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration, leaders demanded at least 24 hours’ advance notice for future ICBM tests, though Nauru dissented.
West Papua remains on the table
The long-standing issue of West Papua returned to the forefront. While reaffirming recognition of Indonesian sovereignty, the Forum called for the protection of local human rights and agreed to facilitate a high-level mission involving interested leaders in consultation with the Melanesian Spearhead Group, with findings due by next year’s summit.
Resilience, health, oceans and AI
The retreat yielded broad agreements that New Zealand will help champion through the Troika.
Whipps announced an additional $20.5 million in pledges for the Pacific Resilience Facility.
Leaders also addressed non-communicable diseases- which account for 75 per cent of regional deaths, endorsed a refreshed regional framework for people with disabilities, and adopted the Waka Manu Regional Pacific Fisheries Strategy for 2026–2035.
Embracing technological shifts, the Forum endorsed the region’s first digital and artificial intelligence principles to shape upcoming AI governance frameworks.
