Jacinda Ardern, who served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand from 26 October 2017 until her resignation on 25 January 2023, travelled internationally to attend bilateral and multilateral diplomatic meetings and to lead trade delegations. During her premiership, Ardern made 27 international trips to 21 sovereign countries and to two associated states and one dependent territory of New Zealand.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Ardern did not travel internationally between early 2020 and 2022. Extensive travel in 2022 was undertaken to make up for this, and to promote the reopening of New Zealand to international visitors.
Summary States visited
Ardern made the following visits to overseas locations:
One visit to Cambodia, Cook Islands, China, Germany, Nauru, Niue, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Ross Dependency, Spain, Switzerland, Tonga, Tokelau, and Tuvalu Two visits to Belgium, Fiji, France, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam Three visits to Samoa and Singapore Four visits to United Kingdom and United States Seven visits to Australia
Multilateral meetings
Jacinda Ardern attended the following summits during her prime ministership: Group Year2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 UNGA 24–28 September, New York City 23–28 September, New York City 29 September,(videoconference) New York City 24 September,(videoconference) New York City 23 September, New York City APEC 10–11 November, Đà Nẵng 17–18 November, Port Moresby 16–17 November,(cancelled) Santiago 20 November,(videoconference) Kuala Lumpur 12 November,(videoconference) Auckland 18–19 November, Bangkok EAS(ASEAN) 13–14 November, Pasay 14–15 November, Singapore 4 November, Bangkok 14 November,(videoconference) Hanoi 26–27 October,(videoconference) Bandar Seri Begawan 12–13 November, Phnom Penh CHOGM 18–20 April, London None 20–26 June, KigaliPIF 5 September, Yaren 14–16 August, Funafuti None 6 August,(videoconference) Suva 11–14 July, Suva NATO 28–30 June, Madrid ██ = Did not attend ██ = Was an Invited Guest
2017 CountryLocationsDatesDetails Sydney Ardern held a bilateral meeting with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Ardern attended the 2017 APEC Summit and met with Vietnamese president Trần Đại Quang and Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe and Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Ardern attended the 31st ASEAN Summit and the Twelfth East Asia Summit and met with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
2018 CountryLocationsDatesDetails Sydney Ardern met Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to discuss Closer Economic Relations and spoke at the Australia–New Zealand Leadership Forum. Ardern met Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi and visited the National University of Samoa and Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. The Cook Islands and Niue are associated states of New Zealand. Alofi Ardern met her father and New Zealand high commissioner Ross Ardern and discussed economic and environmental sustainability with Prime Minister Toke Talagi. Nukuʻalofa Ardern met with Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva. Rarotonga Ardern met with Prime Minister Henry Puna and discussed pension portability. Later that day changes were announced to make it easier for residents of the Realm of New Zealand to access New Zealand superannuation payments. Gold Coast Ardern met with Team New Zealand's medal winners and watched the women's hockey final at the Commonwealth Games. ParisArdern held a bilateral meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron to discuss climate change, the 2018 bombing of Damascus and Homs and trade, after which Macron declared support for a European Union–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. Ardern also discussed the CPTPP with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and spoke about climate change at Sciences Po.BerlinArdern met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed trade which included Merkel's support of a Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and the European Union, Brexit, the ongoing tensions with Russia, the Syrian bombings, climate change and co-operation over science and space. LondonArdern met with Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Then met with British prime minister Theresa May where discussions about Russia dominated the meeting. Ardern also attended a Town Hall debate with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, hosted by London mayor Sadiq Khan and a Five Eyes meeting with Prime Minister May, Trudeau and Turnbull to receive an intelligence briefing. The following day Ardern attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 and had an audience with Elizabeth II. YarenArdern attended the Pacific Islands Forum. New York City Ardern delivered a keynote speech at the Social Good Summit, met with UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. She then made a keynote speech at the opening of Climate Week, made a statement at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit Opening Plenary, held bilateral meetings with Colombian president Iván Duque Márquez, Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar, Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and attended US president Donald Trump's reception for heads of delegation. Thereafter Ardern spoke at the Global Planet Summit, the Bloomberg Global Business Forum and held a trilateral meeting with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Chilean president Sebastián Piñera; that evening, she appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The following day Ardern spoke at a meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, made a speech at the International Conference on Sustainable Development, attended the inaugural meeting of the Carbon Neutrality Coalition and delivered New Zealand's national statement at the Seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly. Singapore Ardern attended the 33rd ASEAN Summit and the Thirteenth East Asia Summit and held bilateral meetings with Burmese state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe and Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Port Moresby Ardern attended the 2018 APEC Summit.
2019 CountryLocationsDatesDetails London Ardern held a bilateral meeting with British prime minister Theresa May to discuss post Brexit trade. Davos Ardern attended the 49th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum and held bilateral meetings with Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel, Peruvian vice president Mercedes Aráoz and Estonian prime minister Jüri Ratas. She discussed inequality with Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima and additionally took part in a number of panel discussions, one on climate change with Sir David Attenborough and Al Gore, a panel focused on mental health with Prince William. Another focused on wellbeing and options beyond GDP with the head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the future of the international trading system with the head of the World Trade Organization. Brussels Ardern met with the president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker, President of the European Council Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to further discussions of a free trade agreement. She also held a bilateral meeting with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte. Beijing Ardern met with Chinese president Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and opened the new Embassy of New Zealand building. Paris Ardern and French president Emmanuel Macron co-chaired the Christchurch Call summit to see world leaders and CEOs of tech companies agree to a pledge to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online in the wake of the 15 March Christchurch mosque shootings. Singapore Ardern held bilateral meetings with Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Halimah Yacob and launched the New Zealand-Singapore Enhanced Partnership.Melbourne Ardern held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and delivered a keynote speech at an event for the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.ApiaArdern met with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, visited the New Zealand funded Waterfront Events Space and Clocktower Boulevard and launched a national strategy document at the New Zealand High Commission.Tokelau is a dependent territory of New Zealand. Ardern became the first New Zealand prime minister to visit in over 15 years. She talked with community leaders and members about climate change, healthcare and education, as well as preserving their cultural identity and language as part of the government's Pacific re-set strategy.FunafutiArdern attended the Pacific Islands Forum and announced $150 million for climate change resilience in the region.TokyoArdern held a bilateral meeting with Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe and promoted trade, economic and tourism opportunities.New York CityArdern gave the keynote speech at the UN Secretary General's Climate Action Summit, had bilateral meetings with US president Donald Trump, British prime minister Boris Johnson and King Abdullah II of Jordan, and followed up on the progress made by countries, technology companies and civil society on the Christchurch Call. She then delivered New Zealand's national statement at the Seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly and met with Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. The following day, Ardern spoke at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum and a Goalkeepers (Gates Foundation) event and held bilateral meetings with Belgian prime minister Charles Michel, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, Icelandic prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.BangkokArdern attended the 2019 ASEAN Summit and the Fourteenth East Asia Summit.
2020 CountryLocationsDatesDetails Ardern met with Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama, addressed students at the University of the South Pacific and met Fijian women leaders in government, business and civil society. She also paid respects to the three Fijian nationals killed in the Christchurch terror attacks. Sydney Ardern attended the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting with Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and met with Australian Governor-General David Hurley and the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
2021 There were no trips in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022