Relationship dossier
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
Relationship assessment
New Zealand’s sanctions and criticism of Zimbabwe’s human-rights record shaped a strained relationship.
New Zealand toward Zimbabwe
-35New Zealand imposed targeted sanctions on Zimbabwean officials and opposed Zimbabwe’s continued standing in the Commonwealth amid concerns over human rights and land seizures.
Zimbabwe 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’s relationship with Zimbabwe became strained over human rights and land seizures under Robert Mugabe. New Zealand imposed targeted sanctions and opposed Zimbabwe’s standing in the Commonwealth. Information about Zimbabwean government policy and conduct specifically toward New Zealand is insufficient to assess that part of the relationship.
Areas of tension
- New Zealand’s criticism of Zimbabwe’s human-rights record and land seizures.
- New Zealand’s targeted sanctions against Zimbabwean officials.
- Zimbabwe’s suspension from the Commonwealth and New Zealand’s opposition to its standing there.
Key developments
New Zealand imposed targeted sanctions on Zimbabwean officials amid concerns about the government’s conduct.
Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth, with New Zealand opposing its continued standing in the organisation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of New Zealand’s sanctions and their later status are unclear.
- Details of Zimbabwean government conduct specifically toward New Zealand are limited.