EU PUBLIC DIPLOMACY aims to bridge the cultural gap, especially among young people, by promoting a better understanding of the EU, its values and its role as a Global Actor. In so doing, and with an explicit focus on youth, it identifies and addresses four priority areas:
- Highlights the EU’s global importance and shared vision with New Zealand (NZ) on global and regional issues, thereby raising the EU’s profile as a strategic partner;
- Address a lack of EU visibility in New Zealand’s curriculum in general, and specifically limited knowledge and awareness of the EU’s global importance for younger generations;
- Engages younger New Zealanders to gain an understanding of the EU, address perceived potential risks and build trust through dialogue, in particular regarding the ongoing negotiations and areas of common interest;
- Underlines the benefits and importance of the EU-New Zealand Partnership in broad terms including cooperation on global health and environmental challenges, security, common values and Human Rights, smart, sustainable and inclusive development, as well as other global issues.
The EU PUBLIC DIPLOMANCY work programme is informed by European Commission International Partnerships objectives of creating an integrated and balanced programme linking specific actions to particular target groups, and providing a pathway from high school to tertiary education integrating EU-learning.
