An international relations professor says we need to walk the talk when it comes to our influence in the Middle East.

Otago University's Robert Patman says our foreign affairs minister condemned the UN for not doing enough to curb the Syrian conflict - which generated the Islamic State.

But he says now we're involved by default.

"But I think New Zealand does approach the Middle East from a different position, say, from the United States or even Britain. It has no axe to grind in the region.

"It now has a position of influence on the Security Council and it must use it."

The Prime Minister is currently on a tour of the gulf states to firm up a free trade deal with the Gulf Co-operation Council.

Patman says the region is worth about $1.9 billion per year to our export market.

"That region, the gulf states, is the fifth most important destination in terms of export markets for us."

But Robert Patman says we do have to consider the moral concerns around human rights when dealing with this region.

"It's not an ideal world and we have to work the way it is, but we do hope that we can inject into the relationship our firm view on human rights."