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New Zealand Police have been undertaking mass riot training ahead of the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in Auckland next month.

The trade agreement, that has sparked widespread controversy due to its closed-door negotiations, will be signed by international diplomats on February 4.

Dozens of large-scale protests have been held across the country as the five years of negotiations for the deal came to a close in the US last year.

The Herald understands that increased riot training - officially known as public order training - has been taking place ahead of the signing, as police prepare for more possible civil unrest.

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DAVOS, Switzerland — U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Friday an embattled 12-nation trade deal was not an appropriate vehicle for fighting climate change. Responding to environmental groups' criticism that the Trans-Pacific Partnership does not include provisions to deal with carbon emissions, Froman told the World Economic Forum in Switzerland such provisions are better dealt with at the United Nations than in trade accords.

“I don’t think anybody would question the Obama administration’s commitment to and leadership on climate change issues,” Froman told the Davos gathering, which has featured many speeches urging swift action on climate change. He asserted, though, that the Obama administration believes the United Nations is “the appropriate forum for that, not a trade agreement.”