A top-ranking United States army general says the Asia-Pacific region is now a key driver of global politics.
Military leaders from more than 30 countries are in Auckland this week for the Pacific Army Chiefs Conference.
US Army chief of staff General Raymond Odierno says the importance of the Asia-Pacific region will keep growing and defence forces will play a vital role in securing the region's stability.
General Odierno says international security has become very uncertain and recent experiences have shown that multi-national operations are the way forward.
The focus of the conference is how nations can best work together during peace-keeping operations.
The United Nations under-secretary for field support, Ameerah Haq, says UN peace-keeping missions and staff are increasingly reliant on troops, especially air support, to protect them.
