New Zealand, Britain and European Integration Since 1960: Staying Alive
Hamish McDougall, Vangelis Vitalis, John Pearson and Esther Guy-Meakin
5.30pm-7pm, Wednesday 5 June 2024
National Office
RHMZ03, Mezzanine level, Rutherford House, 33 Bunny Street, Wellington, Pipitea Campus of Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
This event marks the launch of Hamish McDougall’s new book, New Zealand, Britain, and the European Integration since 1960: Staying Alive (Palgrave MacMillan 2024). Hamish will outline the book’s findings based on his extensive archival research and oral histories, covering the decades-long campaigns to retain New Zealand trade access in the Common Market. The work shows how and why New Zealand, despite being a small, distant country, was able to assume critical political importance in the UK’s accession to the European Community. He will also explain the relevance of this history to contemporary debates about Brexit, Global Britain, EU foreign policy and New Zealand’s economic diversification and trade strategy.
This will be followed by commentary from Vangelis Vatelis, Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He will talk about New Zealand’s present and future relationships with the UK and EU, including the effects of the recent free trade agreements.
Further comments will be provided by Mr John Pearson, British Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand. The event will be chaired by Esther Guy-Meakin.
The event is free to attend. Catering will be served. Please register in advance.
About Dr Hamish McDougall
Hamish McDougall is Executive Director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs Whare Taw¯ahi-a-mahi i Aotearoa. He is a historian of international relations with a focus on the Cold War, decolonisation and New Zealand’s foreign and trade policies in the Twentieth Century. He has a Ph.D. in international history from LSE, which was awarded the Michael L. Dockrill Prize by the British International History Group for the best thesis at a British University in 2021. His other published work includes a book chapter in Ian McGibbon (ed.), New Zealand’s Foreign Service: A History, and articles on the negotiations for European Community enlargement; and the international aspects of the 1981 Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand. Outside of academia, he has an award-winning career in corporate and marketing communications in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
About Vangelis Vitalis
Vangelis Vitalis is Deputy Secretary, Trade and Economic at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was the APEC2021 Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Chair for New Zealand’s host year and in 2023 Vangelis was the SOM Chair for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Vangelis was New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator who led the conclusion of negotiations for the New Zealand European Union Free Trade Agreement (EUNZFTA), CPTPP, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and before that the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (MNZFTA). He was also a member of the negotiating teams for the New Zealand-China FTA and the P4 Agreement.
Prior to taking up his role in Wellington in 2017, Vangelis was New Zealand’s Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva where he chaired the agriculture negotiations in a personal capacity. In this role he helped draft the text of the historic Nairobi WTO Ministerial Decision(external link) to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. Vangelis has also been the Ambassador to the European Union and NATO in Brussels and has had postings to Canberra and Moscow.
Vangelis has worked outside the Ministry including as an economist in the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He is a past member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council on Trade and is currently a member of the WEF Trade and Investment Action Group and is also on the Steering Committee for the WEF Climate Trade Zero initiative. He has chaired in a personal capacity the OECD Committee on Trade and the Environment (2008-2017), the OECD Global Forum on Trade and Climate Change and is currently the New Zealand Envoy for the Small Advanced Economies’ Initiative.
About John Pearson, British Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand
John Pearson has been Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand since July 2023. Previously he was British Ambassador to Laos (2019-23).
He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1990. Previous postings include Mexico City, Singapore, Montevideo, Brasilia and Madrid, and also lived in Hong Kong for four years. His most recent job at the FCO in London was as Deputy Head of China Department (2014-19).
Has a first degree in Geography from Nottingham University, and a Master’s degree in International Peace and Security from King’s College London. Academic background is in sustainability and climate change.
About Esther Guy Meakin
Esther Guy-Meakin is a member of the NZIIA national Board. She is currently an Associate Partner with strategic communications and public relations firm, SenateSHJ, where she advises c-suite clients and board members on stakeholder engagement, reputation and government relations. As a member of the management team, she supports decisions and discussions around business strategy and planning, financial and business performance, business development, identifying and managing risk and people management.
Esther started her career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where she was a diplomat and trade negotiator. She held a number of trade and economic focused roles and also served offshore in the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi, India for three years where she focused on market access for New Zealand companies, and trade and economic policy.
More recently, Esther has held senior positions working for the New Zealand sheep and beef sector. In those roles she developed strategies and initiatives that aimed to better place the sector to respond to challenges, capitalise on opportunities and improve reputational standing. She also supported companies to export overseas, resolve regulatory barriers and advocate on behalf of the sector on a range of complex and often highly political issues.
Esther has a Master of Laws, International Business Law, from the University of London.
This event marks the launch of Hamish McDougall’s new book, New Zealand, Britain, and the European Integration since 1960: Staying Alive (Palgrave MacMillan 2024). Hamish will outline the book’s findings based on his extensive archival research and oral histories, covering the decades-long campaigns to retain New Zealand trade access in the Common Market. The work shows how and why New Zealand, despite being a small, distant country, was able to assume critical political importance in the UK’s accession to the European Community. He will also explain the relevance of this history to contemporary debates about Brexit, Global Britain, EU foreign policy and New Zealand’s economic diversification and trade strategy.
This will be followed by commentary from Vangelis Vatelis, Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He will talk about New Zealand’s present and future relationships with the UK and EU, including the effects of the recent free trade agreements.
Further comments will be provided by Mr John Pearson, British Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand. The event will be chaired by Esther Guy-Meakin.
The event is free to attend. Catering will be served. Please register in advance.
About Dr Hamish McDougall
Hamish McDougall is Executive Director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs Whare Taw¯ahi-a-mahi i Aotearoa. He is a historian of international relations with a focus on the Cold War, decolonisation and New Zealand’s foreign and trade policies in the Twentieth Century. He has a Ph.D. in international history from LSE, which was awarded the Michael L. Dockrill Prize by the British International History Group for the best thesis at a British University in 2021. His other published work includes a book chapter in Ian McGibbon (ed.), New Zealand’s Foreign Service: A History, and articles on the negotiations for European Community enlargement; and the international aspects of the 1981 Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand. Outside of academia, he has an award-winning career in corporate and marketing communications in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
About Vangelis Vitalis
Vangelis Vitalis is Deputy Secretary, Trade and Economic at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was the APEC2021 Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Chair for New Zealand’s host year and in 2023 Vangelis was the SOM Chair for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Vangelis was New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator who led the conclusion of negotiations for the New Zealand European Union Free Trade Agreement (EUNZFTA), CPTPP, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and before that the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (MNZFTA). He was also a member of the negotiating teams for the New Zealand-China FTA and the P4 Agreement.
Prior to taking up his role in Wellington in 2017, Vangelis was New Zealand’s Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva where he chaired the agriculture negotiations in a personal capacity. In this role he helped draft the text of the historic Nairobi WTO Ministerial Decision(external link) to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. Vangelis has also been the Ambassador to the European Union and NATO in Brussels and has had postings to Canberra and Moscow.
Vangelis has worked outside the Ministry including as an economist in the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He is a past member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council on Trade and is currently a member of the WEF Trade and Investment Action Group and is also on the Steering Committee for the WEF Climate Trade Zero initiative. He has chaired in a personal capacity the OECD Committee on Trade and the Environment (2008-2017), the OECD Global Forum on Trade and Climate Change and is currently the New Zealand Envoy for the Small Advanced Economies’ Initiative.
About John Pearson, British Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand
John Pearson has been Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand since July 2023. Previously he was British Ambassador to Laos (2019-23).
He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1990. Previous postings include Mexico City, Singapore, Montevideo, Brasilia and Madrid, and also lived in Hong Kong for four years. His most recent job at the FCO in London was as Deputy Head of China Department (2014-19).
Has a first degree in Geography from Nottingham University, and a Master’s degree in International Peace and Security from King’s College London. Academic background is in sustainability and climate change.
About Esther Guy Meakin
Esther Guy-Meakin is a member of the NZIIA national Board. She is currently an Associate Partner with strategic communications and public relations firm, SenateSHJ, where she advises c-suite clients and board members on stakeholder engagement, reputation and government relations. As a member of the management team, she supports decisions and discussions around business strategy and planning, financial and business performance, business development, identifying and managing risk and people management.
Esther started her career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where she was a diplomat and trade negotiator. She held a number of trade and economic focused roles and also served offshore in the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi, India for three years where she focused on market access for New Zealand companies, and trade and economic policy.
More recently, Esther has held senior positions working for the New Zealand sheep and beef sector. In those roles she developed strategies and initiatives that aimed to better place the sector to respond to challenges, capitalise on opportunities and improve reputational standing. She also supported companies to export overseas, resolve regulatory barriers and advocate on behalf of the sector on a range of complex and often highly political issues.
Esther has a Master of Laws, International Business Law, from the University of London.
Membership
NZIIA membership is open to anyone interested in understanding the importance of global affairs to the political and economic well-being of New Zealand.