Who we are

Ko wai mātou

The Ministry of Defence is a civilian agency that gives advice to the Government on defence matters. We contribute to making New Zealand safe and enhancing the security of other nations.

Our story

Our history, the Defence Act, our partnership with NZDF

Our people

Our Secretary of Defence and Senior Leadership team

Our structure

Information about the Ministry's five divisions

Work for us

Our staff profiles and current vacancies

Freyberg scholarships

How to apply for a Freyberg Scholarship

How we work with the New Zealand Defence Force

We work in partnership with the New Zealand Defence Force. Defence is made up of two agencies: The Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force. We work very closely together; drawing on our strong, separate civilian and military perspectives. The separation between the two agencies is part of New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements. Under the Defence Act 1990, the Secretary of Defence is the lead civilian advisor on Defence matters and the Chief of Defence Force is the lead military advisor and senior military officer.

Did you know

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WW100 - NZ's First World War centenary

In August 2014, New Zealand started commemorating the centenary of World War I. The First World War (1914-1918) was one of the most significant events of the 20th century, and had a long lasting impact on New Zealand. Our national centenary events have included commemorating the Anzac landings in Gallipoli (25 April 2015) and the War in France (15 September 2016). Other significant dates to commemorate are the War in Belgium (12 October 2017), Armistice Day (11 November 2018) and the soldiers’ return (July 2019). Read more about NZ’s First World War centenary.