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Photo caption:��Former Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel (CNZM) will take part in UC’s Spring Graduation celebrations this August. Photo credit: Stephanie Defregger Photography��

The former Member of Parliament and Christchurch mayor recently completed her Master of Laws in international relations and politics (ILAP) with First Class Honours at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of mini��ý (UC).  

Her study topics included international law, international relations and diplomacy, law of the sea and the rights of Indigenous peoples. Her dissertation was focused on long-term disaster recovery; an area Dalziel describes as being critically underdeveloped.��

As a regular columnist for newsroom.co.nz, she has written about the various aspects of her study, all of which has been highly topical.

“There are quite a few reflections that have emerged from the course, but if I had to highlight one, it would be the importance of preparing for recovery,” Dalziel says. 

“While emergency response is prioritised, planning for recovery is too often overlooked. After every major disaster, we have to recover as well. And yet we never prepare for recovery and regretfully we almost never learn the lessons of recovery either.” 

From an international law perspective, she hopes that when a United Nations convention giving effect to international disaster law is developed, it will include a deep understanding of long-term recovery as a core element. 

Reflecting on Aotearoa New Zealand’s experience with events like the Christchurch earthquakes and more recently Cyclone Gabrielle, Dalziel believes a shift in national strategy is essential. “New Zealand has a real opportunity to lead in this space. We could develop our own approach and, ideally, gain cross-party agreement on a national framework that embraces all four Rs—reduction, readiness, response, and recovery—as equal and essential parts of disaster risk management.” 

She says there’s often a lack of research or evaluation on recovery efforts and highlights that we learn more from what goes wrong in life than what goes right. “Lessons cannot be said to be learnt until they are embedded in practice,” she says. 

Dalziel acknowledges that recovery can be a difficult topic in the city she once led, but says she always believed that resilience isn’t a destination, but rather a journey. 

“It’s the planning, collaboration, relationships, and the process that prepares us best for whatever the future holds,” she says. “I’d really like to write about this, and I think having the LLM ILAP framework can help provide the research foundation and structure to bring that thinking together.” 

Her legal and political background made the ILAP a perfect fit. The master’s is designed to meet a growing interest in multi-disciplinary study in international law and politics and sees graduates go on to work for international organisations such as the United Nations, government departments such as foreign ministries, international law firms, and international non-governmental organisations. 

“I'm a great believer in life-long learning,” Dalziel says. “You’re never too old to learn new things and engage with an education programme that brings you in touch with people of different ages. That’s why I chose a taught master’s degree. To me meeting and listening to younger people and exchanging ideas was gold, and as important as anything that I have learned or researched.” 

She says learning about the law of the sea, opened her eyes to a whole area of international law she hadn’t fully appreciated, even during her time as a cabinet minister. “It’s been an enlightening experience that’s deepened my respect for the complexities of global legal frameworks. At the same time, it has helped me appreciate the international expertise that sits within the faculties that teach the programme.” 

Dalziel will take part in UC’s Spring Graduation celebrations this August. She hopes to give back to the community by sharing her experiences and continuing to contribute to policy development.