New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has appointed Louisa Wall the Ambassador for Gender Equality (Pacific)/Tuia Tāngata.
Wall recently quit as a Labour Party MP after a 14-year career in Parliament.
Mahuta said "Aotearoa New Zealand is committed to lifting our engagement with our Pacific partners on gender equality".
"New Zealand has an important part to play in supporting gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in the Pacific, and this role will be central to that," she said.
The ambassador's role will be to establish new partnerships and programmes that support the full and effective participation by women and LGBTQI+, and equal opportunities for leadership in the Pacific.
The minister said Wall would have a key focus on identifying partnerships and new activities to support Pacific Sports Diplomacy.