The Jim McLay Summit brought together leaders from five countries in a virtual meeting to debate pressing Pacific issues, providing space for them to speak freely and share their perspectives on critical topics, says co-convenor and participant Professor Alexander Gillespie from the University of Waikato.
Climate change, geopolitical competition, illegal fishing, transnational crime, human trafficking and economic prosperity were some of the topics of discussion.
Attendees included US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, Acting High Commissioner to Samoa Juliana Lafaialii and Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand Makoto Osawa, alongside academics and government officials.
The summit, named after its chair and former New Zealand Ambassador to the United Nations Sir Jim McLay, was developed in partnership by Sir Jim and University eLearning designer and research assistant Clementine Annabell. It followed Waikato’s involvement last year in the Project for Peaceful Competition, hosted by King’s College London.
It was the first time the University has led an initiative to bring international leaders together, says Professor Gillespie. The exercise would typically require significant intergovernmental coordination. He says the University bypassed the traditional processes, however, relying instead on the relationships and trust it has built over the years through its work in foreign affairs.
“No one else does this kind of work. Getting this level of participation from multiple countries is an achievement in itself,” says Professor Gillespie. “What you see is a polished final product, but behind the scenes, it took a massive amount of organisation and effort. This is something a government would be proud of.”
He says the summit’s format aimed to foster direct communication among decision-makers in the Pacific, allowing them the space to articulate their views and place their perspectives alongside those of their counterparts.
“In an age of fake news and spin, we wanted to take the conversation back to basics,” says Professor Gillespie.
“Too often, these debates are held at a high level, and the public only hears from one perspective. We wanted to change that.”
The University plans to build on the summit in 2025 and the full video is available below.
