Story: Multilateral organisations

ASPAC – the Asian and Pacific Council – was the first exclusively Asian multilateral organisation New Zealand joined. Representatives are shown here meeting in Wellington in 1970. New Zealand was a founding member in 1966; also involved were Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, South Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In contrast to other multilateral organisations in the region, ASPAC did not include the United States, but all the members were allies of the US and none was non-aligned or communist.