Australia and New Zealand are friends, family and formal allies. We share geography as Pacific nations. Our partnership is founded on deep historical ties and strong people-to-people links. The coming decade will bring challenges and opportunities as we navigate a changing world.

Our goal is to harness all elements of our respective nations' statecraft to advance our interests. We want our nations to have growing and modern economies, resilient democracies, and to advance the interests of Indigenous Peoples. Reflecting our shared values, we seek a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and resilient.

This Roadmap sets out how we will work together over the coming decade across five priority themes. These offer the greatest potential for achieving our shared vision and improving the lives of the people living in our nations and our region.

Leaders will review progress under each theme at our annual Leaders' Meetings. Existing ministerial and senior official architecture will drive collective action under the Roadmap.

Sustainable, inclusive and prosperous economies

We will build productive, prosperous and sustainable economies that are fit for the future. Combatting climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement will be central to these efforts, as we address the urgent need to transition to low-emission, climate-resilient economies. Our shared goals are to foster ambition and harness the economic opportunities provided by the transition through better integration of our economies, to modernise and expand our strong trading relationship, and to ensure our collective efforts deliver for a prosperous Pacific region.

The Australia and New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement will remain the foundation of our bilateral trade. We will increase our efforts to facilitate a seamless trans-Tasman business environment through the Single Economic Market agenda.

To achieve this, we have agreed to:

• Conclude a Sustainable and Inclusive Trade Declaration;
• Review and modernise the Single Economic Market agenda;
• Reduce barriers to collaboration in science, technology and research across the Tasman, including through the Trans-Tasman Innovation Ecosystem;
• Deliver on outcomes from our 2+2 Climate and Finance Ministerial engagements to address shared policy challenges and identify areas for closer collaboration; and
• Work together to encourage sustainable, shared trade and investment in the Pacific region, including through Pacer Plus.

Security and resilience

Australia and New Zealand recognise that the scale and range of challenges we face demand collective international action. No single country can stand on its own. We each bring our own unique value and contribution to a shared vision of a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region. In this context, our security partnership is a key asset.

We will strengthen our security partnership, humanitarian and disaster relief response and law enforcement efforts to support our shared vision. We will reinforce our defence alliance through deeper cooperation, interoperability and integration via our upgraded architecture and capability planning. We will also coordinate joint responses to regional security threats including against external threats to our democracies, disasters and shocks that could impact our way of life, and in doing so, build domestic resilience and support the region to do likewise.

To achieve this, we have agreed to:

• Reinforce our defence cooperation as alliance partners, including by refreshing Closer Defence Relations;
• Expand our collaboration between national security agencies, including intelligence, domestic security and law enforcement agencies;
• Safeguard and consolidate defence supply chains and logistics;
• Continue dialogues and exchanges to streamline cooperation between defence industries;
• Align our emergency management sectors, to better coordinate joint responses to disasters and sustain leadership in regional emergency management;
• Work together on countering terrorism, violent extremism, foreign interference, mis/disinformation, cyber threats and economic coercion; and
• Continue whole-of-government capacity-building programs including maritime security, fisheries enforcement and inspections in the region.

Active partners in the Pacific

Our future success is tied to that of our region. The Pacific region is strongest when it works together. Urgent, collective action is needed to advance the region's priorities as stated in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and tackle increasing threats to our regional interests, including climate change. We recognise that how we partner matters as much as what we deliver. 

We seek a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and resilient, with a strong Pacific Islands Forum at its core. We will continue to work together with all Forum members to achieve this.

To achieve this, we have agreed to:

• Work to support the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent;
• Reinforce our steadfast support for Pacific leadership through the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organisations;
• Actively support Pacific priorities, including on climate adaptation, energy security, disaster risk reduction, food security, biosecurity and fisheries management;
• Deepen and expand people-to-people connections and support economic resilience, including through access to our labour markets and education; and
• Uphold Pacific Leaders' commitment to a family first approach to tackling regional security challenges, which is reliable, transparent and respectful of sovereignty.

Upholding shared principles and values

Australia and New Zealand hold fast the values that bind our people. We will uphold and champion the rules-based international system where the conduct between states is guided by international law, not by power and size. Central to our shared interests are the core regional institutions such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Association of South East Asian Nations, and strong multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. We will also continue to protect and promote respect for human rights globally, so all people may live with dignity.

To achieve this, we have agreed to:

• Work to strengthen and reform multilateral and regional institutions to ensure their future sustainability and resilience, in maintaining the rules-based order in the face of growing challenges;
• Support Pacific engagement in the multilateral system by amplifying Pacific voices and increasing the understanding within the multilateral system of the Pacific's priorities; and support Sāmoa to host a successful Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2024, and Australia's bid to host the United Nations 31st Climate Change Conference in partnership with the Pacific; and
• Continue close collaboration on human rights including by finding avenues to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the United Nations.

Our peoples

Our people-to-people links are at the heart of our relationship. The free movement of citizens between our two countries under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement is a foundation for our people-to-people links. As are the rights of our citizens in each other's countries. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and Māori, tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, are unique and important to our trans-Tasman relationship.

We will ensure that our relationship reflects and supports Indigenous Peoples' interests and mobility between our two countries, knowing this will further enhance economic prosperity, connection and familial links.

To achieve this, we have agreed to:

• Continue fair and inclusive treatment of each other's citizens;
• Promote academic and student mobility and collaboration between our schools and tertiary institutions, and continue to share information and best practice to enhance education system resilience;
• Work with Indigenous communities to reflect Indigenous interests, perspectives and values in our respective approaches to foreign policy and economic development;
• Amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples regionally and globally, and increase the understanding within the multilateral system of Indigenous Peoples' priorities;
• Support Indigenous Peoples through international instruments like the Indigenous Peoples' Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement to assist Indigenous trade and encourage economic development, and other forums to advocate for Indigenous-led sustainable development; and
• Strengthen the Australia-Aotearoa New Zealand Indigenous Collaboration Arrangement through Indigenous-led and government-enabled activities that support closer cooperation and improved outcomes for Indigenous people, including the appropriate use of traditional knowledge as a means to increase innovation and improve productivity.