Suzannah Jessep's March 2026 CE Update

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opeining the Raisina Dialogue

Raisina, held in the organised chaos of New Delhi, brings together heads of state, military leaders, policy thinkers, journalists and industry heavyweights to wrestle with the big questions shaping our future. This year’s dialogue began under the shadow of the US–Israeli campaign against Iran, which reshuffled agendas, grounded flights, and pulled key experts back home to manage the unfolding crisis. It was a stark reminder of how quickly the global landscape can shift. 

I moderated a panel exploring the strategic choices facing island states like New Zealand, and I also had the joy of judging the Raisina–IE Global Challenge – a competition that brings together young global affairs leaders to tackle complex issues. This year’s focus was the civilian and military uses of AI. The depth of thinking from these emerging leaders was genuinely inspiring; they’re already grappling with questions many of us are only beginning to articulate. 

If you’d like to dive deeper into the panel discussion, I recommend this thoughtful piece by our Asia Media Centre manager, Graeme Acton: Raisina: Small States, Big Questions. And for those who prefer to listen rather than read, Samir Saran, President of the Observer Research Foundation, offers a rich conversation in this podcast. 

Suzannah: "Across Asia, sport is often a topic contacts bring up as an icebreaker, a shared language, and a surprisingly powerful way of shaping how New Zealand is perceived."

Meanwhile, as Raisina unfolded, New Zealand was being thoroughly outplayed in the T20 Cricket Final in Ahmedabad. Even in defeat, the match was a reminder of something special: New Zealand remains India’s second-favourite team and the warmth between our players reflects a relationship that extends far beyond the boundary of the sports field. 

Our sports delegation, led by Associate Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Chris Bishop and co-convened by Sport NZ, brought together chief executives from across our sporting codes, from basketball and athletics to cricket, football and even lawn bowls. We were in India to honour a connection that began in 1926, when the Indian Army Hockey Team toured New Zealand, planting the seeds of a century-long sporting friendship. 

New Delhi: Suzannah speaking on a panel discussing 100 years of sporting ties between New Zealand and India

The visit put into action the government’s sports diplomacy strategy, released last September, which explores how New Zealand can use its sporting reputation to strengthen international ties, commercial opportunities and competitive pathways. At the Foundation, we’ve long believed in the power of sport to bridge cultures; it’s why we launched our sports programme in 2020.  

Across Asia, sport is often a topic contacts bring up as an icebreaker, a shared language, and a surprisingly powerful way of shaping how New Zealand is perceived. Our athletes are among our best ambassadors, and deeper sporting ties with India and the wider region can only strengthen our relationships. 

Before I sign off, a few updates from the Foundation: 

• Japan Track II Dialogue: Our latest track II delegation has just returned from Japan, where they met with diplomats, academics, media and civil society to better understand how Japan is navigating regional and global challenges, including the crisis in the Middle East. Reporting from the visit will be out soon. In the meantime, you can read my latest Newsroom article on how Asia is responding to the crisis. 

• Pacific Perceptions Report: Next month we’ll release a new report exploring how New Zealand’s Pacific communities view engagement by Asian countries in the Pacific, and how they perceive Asia more broadly. We’ll be hosting events around the country to share the findings, so keep an eye on our website and social channels for details. 

• Asia Symposium: Wellington, 20 May: In partnership with The Asia Foundation, we’ll be hosting a full-day symposium bringing together leading experts from across Asia and New Zealand to explore how small and middle powers can exercise diplomacy in a world that increasingly feels like ‘might is right.’ The event is free, but seats tend to disappear quickly, so watch our channels for registration details. 

• Entrepreneurship Programme Updates: Next month I’ll be sharing a wave of exciting updates from our entrepreneurship programme and Leadership Network, including incoming visits from young tech leaders across Southeast Asia and agricultural entrepreneurs from India, as well as outgoing visits by New Zealand’s own innovators and leaders. 

Noho ora mai, 
Suzannah Jessep