In recent days, we've heard a lot about New Zealand's independent foreign policy, including from the Prime Minister, particularly in relation to our effective exclusion from the AUKUS trilateral security partnership. However, it is difficult to say that New Zealand has an independent foreign policy when we have extremely limited options in respect of placing sanctions on individuals who might be operating contrary to the best interests of this country. Currently, New Zealand must rely on the United Nations' sanctions process, which imposes sanctions on countries through the Security Council. However, the UN, despite its strengths as a multilateral system, has some weaknesses in that it is reliant on the five permanent councils of the UN Security Council who can, and often do, exercise their veto power, and, in fact, often matters are not brought before the council because of those veto powers.