New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
23 November 2020
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
Alexander Pflaum
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #13466 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
OIA 27124
Dear Alexander Pflaum
I refer to your email of 11 September 2020 in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
“(a) meeting minutes relating to the development of the Christchurch Call
(b) documents providing formal or substantive advice on the development of the
Christchurch Call text
(c) documents relating to the implementation of the Christchurch call by industry”
On 8 October 2020, we wrote to inform you we were extending the time to make a decision on
your request by 30 working days, to 23 November 2020.
This letter is to inform you that we have made a decision on your request and will be providing
you with documents once we have completed necessary consultation. We will provide you with
the documents as soon as we can.
Some portions of the documents we intend to release to you are withheld under the following
sections of the OIA:
•
6(a): to avoid prejudicing the security or defence of New Zealand or the international
relations of the New Zealand Government;
•
6(b): to protect the passing of information from another government on a confidential
basis;
•
9(2)(a): to protect individual’s privacy;
•
9(2)(b)(ii): to avoid prejudice to the commercial position of another party;
•
9(2)(ba): to protect the supply of confidential information by a third party;
•
9(2)(g)(i): to protect the free and frank expression of opinions by departments; and
•
9(2)(j): to avoid prejudice to negotiations.
As signalled in our extension letter, we have undertaken further consultation on your request.
This consultation has identified there is likely to be substantially more documents that may fall
within the scope of your request. This information is refused under section 18(f) of the OIA, as
the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
Page 2 of 2
However, we invite you to make a further, more specific, request if there is information you
are seeking that is not covered by the information we will release.
Where information will be withheld under section 9 of the OIA, we have identified no public
interest in releasing the information that would be sufficient to override the reasons for
withholding it.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of this response by the
Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely
Julie-Anne Lee
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade