New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
30 September 2021
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
Sebastian
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #15416 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
OIA 27461
Tēnā koe Sebastian
I refer to your email of 10 May 2021 in which you request the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA):
…This is a request for the following 9 documents:
ONE: I request a copy of the current Pacific Reset priority areas and work programme
TWO: Cabinet minute ERS-18-MIN-0028 noted that “A further omnibus report on the
implementation of the Pacific Reset will be submitted to Cabinet before the end of 2019”
I request a copy of this report.
THREE: I request copies of all other Pacific Reset reports-back since the beginning of
2020
FOUR: Cabinet minute ERS-18-MIN-0028 also noted that “Significant progress has been
made on a refreshed New Zealand approach to regional security, intended to align with
and support implementation of the Boe Declaration”
I request a copy of the refreshed approach to regional security referred to here
FIVE: I also request a copy of MFAT's implementation plan for the Boe Declaration
SIX: I request a copy of CAB-18-MIN-0537
SEVEN: I request a copy of the Pacific Realm Policy Framework
EIGHT: The 2019-2020 MFAT Annual Report notes that “A 2019 stocktake of New
Zealand agency engagement in the Realm strengthened awareness and highlighted
opportunities for enhanced coordination in areas such as health, education and climate
change”
I request a copy of this stocktake.
NINE: The 2019-2020 MFAT Annual Report also notes that “In June [2020], the Ministry
prepared advice to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on recalibrating New Zealand’s Pacific
engagement to respond to the far-reaching and serious impacts of COVID-19 across the
region in the short to medium term.
On 8 June 2021, the deadline to respond to your request was extended to 13 July 2021. On
13 July 2021, you were advised that the Ministry had made a decision on your request and
that the information was in the final stages of preparation and review. Thank you for your
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
Page 2 of 4
patience while this process was completed. The parts of your request have been addressed in
turn, below.
1.
I request a copy of the current Pacific Reset priority areas and work programme
Since New Zealand’s Pacific Reset was announced in February 2018, Ministers and more than
30 government agencies have worked together to deepen New Zealand’s Pacific relationships.
The Pacific Reset, with its emphasis on what we were doing and how we were operating in the
Pacific, has provided a robust framework for New Zealand’s greater investment in the region
over the past three and a half years. The priority areas of the Ministry’s Pacific engagement
are formulated in response to the priorities of the region. The Pacific Reset has also provided
the necessary framework for New Zealand’s initial response to the Pacific to mitigate risks from
the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pacific region has suffered extensive economic and fiscal damage from COVID-19, in
addition to negative health impacts in some countries. Over the past 12 months, the Ministry
has worked flexibly and adaptively to preserve existing development projects, while pivoting
New Zealand’s development assistance to directly support the COVID-19 response. We have
worked with each of our Pacific partners to deliver a response package that best supports a
pathway to resilience and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
As we move out of the response phase in the Pacific we will look to work in partnership with
our Pacific whanau to address challenges to longer term resilience such as: climate change,
social inequality, lack of economic diversification and inclusion.
2.
“A further omnibus report on the implementation of the Pacific Reset will be submitted to
Cabinet before the end of 2019”. I request a copy of this report.
Officials prepared advice for Cabinet on the implementation of the Pacific Reset in March 2020.
However, this paper was not submitted to Cabinet due to COVID-19; therefore, we are
withholding this paper under section 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i) of the OIA. Officials instead
focused on applying the principles of the Pacific Reset to the emerging COVID-19 challenges in
the ‘Beyond the Pacific Reset: Recalibrating our Pacific engagement to respond to COVID-19’
paper, included in the documents released under part 3 of your request.
3.
I request copies of all other Pacific Reset reports-back since the beginning of 2020.
See attached documents.
4.
“Significant progress has been made on a refreshed New Zealand approach to regional
security, intended to align with and support implementation of the Boe Declaration”. I
request a copy of the refreshed approach to regional security referred to here.
The transboundary nature of contemporary security challenges means that New Zealand’s
domestic security is directly affected by the region’s stability. This gives us a critical, long-term
stake in the mitigation of security threats across our wider region. This requires New Zealand’s
whole of government efforts in the security sector to be coordinated and deliberate, building
on the deep security relationships between New Zealand and counterpart agencies in the
Page 3 of 4
Pacific that are long established, and in line with the priorities of the region articulated under
the Boe Declaration (see below). While officials drafted a paper on these issues in 2018, it was
not finalised nor considered by Ministers or Cabinet. On this basis, we are withholding this
paper under section 9(2)(f)(iv) and 9(2)(g)(i) of the OIA.
5.
I also request a copy of MFAT's implementation plan for the Boe Declaration
New Zealand is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum Subcommittee on Regional Security,
which is the pre-eminent forum for officials’ level discussions on regional security threats and
implementation of the Boe Declaration. Through the work of the Subcommittee, the
Boe
Declaration Action Plan was developed, providing a framework for Forum Members – including
New Zealand – to implement the Boe Declaration in collaboration with key regional and
international stakeholders. The Action Plan sets out six Strategic Focus Areas including:
Climate Security
Human Security and Humanitarian Assistance
Environmental and Resource Security
Transnational Crime
Cyber-enabled Crime and Cybersecurity
Creating an enabling environment for implementation including an appropriate
coordination mechanism.
The Boe Declaration is available online here:
https://www.forumsec.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/10/BOE-document-Action-Plan.pdf
6.
I request a copy of CAB-18-MIN-0537
Cabinet Minute CAB-18-MIN-0537 is attached.
The External Relations and Security Committee Minute and paper referred to in the above
Minute are available online here:
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/vn/media-and-resources/the-
pacific-reset-the-first-year/
7.
I request a copy of the Pacific Realm Policy Framework
A redacted version of the 2018 Cabinet Paper is attached. Some information has been
withheld to avoid prejudicing the international relations of the New Zealand Government
(section 6(a) of the OIA). A two-page summary of the Framework is also attached.
8.
The 2019-2020 MFAT Annual Report notes that: “A 2019 stocktake of New Zealand
agency engagement in the Realm strengthened awareness and highlighted
opportunities for enhanced coordination in areas such as health, education and climate
change”. I request a copy of this stocktake.
A copy of the stocktake report is attached.
9.
The 2019-2020 MFAT Annual Report also notes that “In June [2020], the Ministry prepared
advice to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on recalibrating New Zealand’s Pacific engagement
to respond to the far-reaching and serious impacts of COVID-19 across the region in the
short to medium term”. I request a copy of this advice.
Page 4 of 4
As noted above, the paper ‘Beyond the Pacific Reset: Recalibrating our Pacific engagement to
respond to COVID-19’ is included in part 3 of your request above.
Some parts of the attached information have been 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)(i): to protect the passing of information from another government on a
confidential basis;
7(b): to prevent prejudice to relations between any of the Governments of
New Zealand and Realm countries;
9(2)(a): to protect individuals’ privacy;
9(2)(g)(i): to protect the free and frank expression of opinions by departments; and
9(2)(f)(iv): to protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown
and officials.
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, we have identified no
public interest in releasing the information that would override the reasons for withholding it.
You can also find further information in the Briefing for Incoming Ministers provided to the
Minister of Foreign Affairts, available on the Ministry website here:
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/About-us-Corporate/MFAT-corporate-publications/Briefings-to-
incoming-Ministers/Briefing-for-incoming-Minister-of-Foreign-Affairs-2020.pdf
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Julie-Anne Lee
for Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
