Relationship dossier
New Zealand
Tokelau
Relationship assessment
New Zealand administers Tokelau and provides ongoing support; Tokelau remains a dependent territory.
New Zealand toward Tokelau
+45New Zealand administers Tokelau and provides financial and public-service support. It has also supported processes through which Tokelauans considered self-government in free association with New Zealand.
Tokelau toward New Zealand
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
New Zealand administers Tokelau and provides continuing financial and public-service support, while Tokelau’s political status and future relationship with New Zealand have been considered through self-determination referendums. Tokelau remains a dependent territory rather than an independent state with its own foreign policy. The scope of Tokelau government conduct toward New Zealand as a separate bilateral actor is unclear.
Key developments
A referendum on self-government in free association with New Zealand did not reach the required threshold for a change in status.
A second referendum on self-government in free association with New Zealand did not reach the required threshold for a change in status.
Major uncertainties
- The division of authority between New Zealand and Tokelau institutions is not fully clear.
- The scope and implementation of New Zealand’s financial and public-service support are unclear.