WELLINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand is hosting 14 Pacific countries at the Pacific Conference on Conventional Weapons Treaties in Auckland from Feb. 12 to 14.

New Zealand's Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Fletcher Tabuteau, formally welcomed delegates to the conference with a reception in Auckland.

"The conference provides an opportunity to reinforce the importance our region places on enhancing human security and protecting our peoples from harm," Tabuteau said in a statement.

It further reaffirms the role that the Pacific can play in protecting and strengthening global norms and in advancing the scope and span of humanitarian law, he said.

The conference is sponsored by the governments of Australia and New Zealand and is being attended by 12 other Pacific countries.