Elevating New Zealand-U.S. Relations to New Heights

The Right Honorable Mike Moore, New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, is delighted to invite Asia Society members and friends to a diplomatic dialogue dinner at the New Zealand Embassy. Ambassador Moore will provide his perspectives on the U.S.-New Zealand relationship. This event will also provide an exclusive opportunity to hear first-hand about the current economic and political developments in New Zealand. This important Diplomatic Dialogue event comes at a time when both countries are looking to strengthen bilateral relations and explore new areas in their economic partnership, including negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership. The event will be introduced and moderated by Henrietta Fore, Co-Chair of the Asia Society Board of Trustees.

Ambassador Mike Moore is a past Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Moore oversaw the launch of the Doha Development Round. His period in office saw the successful accession to the WTO of China and Chinese Taipei along with Estonia, Jordan, Georgia, Albania, Oman, Croatia, Lithuania, and Moldova.

Moore is a former Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. He held portfolios in a wide range of areas and served in a number of senior political positions including Trade Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister of Tourism, Minister for the Americas Cup and Deputy Minister of Finance. Mike Moore worked as a meat and construction worker, and a printer where he became an active Trade Unionist. He became a social worker in a hospital for the criminally insane – an experience he claims "prepared him well for a life in politics."

Moore held numerous appointments and board memberships with global policy and commercial organisations. These included Membership of the United Nations Commission on the Legal Empowerment of the Poor; Commissioner for the UN Global Commission on International Migration; and a number of private sector boards. Moore served on the Economic Development Board of South Australia, and was an advisor to other Governments. He is a Trilateral Commission member and a member of the Privy Council. Moore was an Adjunct Professor at Adelaide University, Australia, and La Trobe University, Australia, is Honorary Professor at Beijing Normal University in Zhuhai; the Chinese University for Political Science and International Law in Beijing; and Shanghai Customs College.

Henrietta H. Fore is Chairman and CEO of Holsman International, an investment and management company in U.S. and international business. From 2007 to 2009, she was Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, holding the equivalent rank as Deputy Secretary of State. Between 2005 and 2007 she served as Undersecretary of State for Management, the Chief Operating Officer. She was the 37th Director of the U.S. Mint in the Department of Treasury from August 2001 to August 2005. She received the Distinguished Service Award in 2009, the highest honor the Secretary of State can bestow, and the Alexander Hamilton Award in 2005. Between 1989 and 1992, she was Assistant Administrator for Asia and Private Enterprise and served as the Founding Chair of the US-Asia Environmental Partnership announced in Singapore by President George H.W. Bush.