Information regarding the conflict in Gaza

Jorja made this Official Information request to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The request was successful.

From: Jorja

Kia ora,

I would like to request the following information under the Official Information Act 1982:

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been commissioned by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been provided to senior Ministry officials in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that have been attended by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials meetings

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that have been attended by senior Ministry officials in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials meetings

For the purposes of processing this request, you can interpret senior Ministry officials to mean the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries

Link to this

From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora Jorja

 

Thank you for your OIA request received on 23 January 2024 for:

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been
commissioned by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7
October 2023

 

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been
provided to senior Ministry officials in relation to the conflict in Gaza
since 7 October 2023

 

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that
have been attended by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza
since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials meetings

 

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that
have been attended by senior Ministry officials in relation to the
conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials
meetings

 

For the purposes of processing this request, you can interpret senior
Ministry officials to mean the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries

 

This email confirms receipt of your request and advises that we will
respond to it as soon as reasonably practicable, and in terms of the
timeframes and requirements of the OIA.

 

Please note that our response letter to you (with your personal details
redacted), and any enclosed documents, may be published on the Ministry’s
website.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatû Aorere

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Jorja <[1][FOI #25484 email]>

Sent: Tuesday, 23 January 2024 7:00 PM

To: ENQUIRIES <[2][MFAT request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - Information regarding the conflict
in Gaza

 

Kia ora,

 

I would like to request the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982:

 

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been
commissioned by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7
October 2023

 

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been
provided to senior Ministry officials in relation to the conflict in Gaza
since 7 October 2023

 

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that
have been attended by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza
since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials meetings

 

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that
have been attended by senior Ministry officials in relation to the
conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials
meetings

 

For the purposes of processing this request, you can interpret senior
Ministry officials to mean the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FOI #25484 email]

 

Is [4][MFAT request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade? If so, please contact
us using this form:

[5]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[6]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
2. mailto:[MFAT request email]
3. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
4. mailto:[MFAT request email]
5. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
6. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Link to this

From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Tçnâ koe Jorja,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request relating to
information on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

 

The amount of information you have requested is substantial, with
potentially hundreds of emails and advice in scope which would require the
attention of our teams already under pressure monitoring the situation in
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and providing assistance
to New Zealanders. Therefore, your request as it currently stands is
likely to be refused under section 18(f) of the OIA, as the information
requested would require substantial collation and research to provide.

 

In order to avoid a refusal, we would consider refining the scope of your
request? This could be done by narrowing the timeframe of your request,
requesting a particular document, etc. The Ministry can also provide you
with a summary of the advice that has been provided to Minister’s to date.

 

It would be appreciated if you could respond to this email by midday on
Thursday 1 February 2024.

 

Any clarification or amendment of a request is considered to be a new
request for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory timeframe for
response (section 15(1AA) of the OIA refers).

 

Many thanks,

 

 

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatû Aorere

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Jorja <[1][FOI #25484 email]>

Sent: Tuesday, 23 January 2024 7:00 PM

To: ENQUIRIES <[2][MFAT request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - Information regarding the conflict
in Gaza

 

Kia ora,

 

I would like to request the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982:

 

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been
commissioned by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza since 7
October 2023

 

Copies of any briefings, reports, memos, or aides-memoire that have been
provided to senior Ministry officials in relation to the conflict in Gaza
since 7 October 2023

 

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that
have been attended by the Minister in relation to the conflict in Gaza
since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials meetings

 

Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, or notes regarding meetings that
have been attended by senior Ministry officials in relation to the
conflict in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including Agency and Officials
meetings

 

For the purposes of processing this request, you can interpret senior
Ministry officials to mean the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FOI #25484 email]

 

Is [4][MFAT request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade? If so, please contact
us using this form:

[5]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[6]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
2. mailto:[MFAT request email]
3. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
4. mailto:[MFAT request email]
5. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
6. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Link to this

From: Jorja

Kia ora,

Can I instead please receive a list of titles of advice that have been received by the Minister since 8 October, and the date they were sent?

Yours sincerely,

Jorja

Link to this

From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade


Attachment OIA 29046 Jorja Decision letter.pdf
183K Download View as HTML


[UNCLASSIFIED]

Tçnâ koe Jorja,

 

Please see attached a letter regarding your official information request.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jorja <[1][FOI #25484 email]>
Sent: Friday, 26 January 2024 6:50 PM
To: ESD <[2][email address]>
Subject: Re: FW: NEW OIA request 29046 Jorja - Information regarding the
conflict in Gaza

 

Kia ora,

 

Can I instead please receive a list of titles of advice that have been
received by the Minister since 8 October, and the date they were sent?

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Jorja

 

-----Original Message-----

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

 

Tçnâ koe Jorja,

 

 

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request relating
to  information on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

 

 

 

The amount of information you have requested is substantial, with 
potentially hundreds of emails and advice in scope which would require
the  attention of our teams already under pressure monitoring the
situation in  Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and
providing assistance  to New Zealanders. Therefore, your request as it
currently stands is  likely to be refused under section 18(f) of the OIA,
as the information  requested would require substantial collation and
research to provide.

 

 

 

In order to avoid a refusal, we would consider refining the scope of your 
request? This could be done by narrowing the timeframe of your request, 
requesting a particular document, etc. The Ministry can also provide you 
with a summary of the advice that has been provided to Minister’s to date.

 

 

 

It would be appreciated if you could respond to this email by midday on 
Thursday 1 February 2024.

 

 

 

Any clarification or amendment of a request is considered to be a new 
request for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory timeframe
for  response (section 15(1AA) of the OIA refers).

 

 

 

Many thanks,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Services Division

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatû Aorere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FOI #25484 email]

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[4]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
4. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Link to this

From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade


Attachment OIA 29046 Jorja Response.pdf
229K Download View as HTML

Attachment OIA 29046 Jorja list of titles for release.pdf
667K Download View as HTML


[UNCLASSIFIED]

Tēnā koe Jorja,

 

On behalf of the Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, please
find attached the response to your official information request.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

hide quoted sections

Link to this

From: Jorja

Dear ESD,

Thank you for this. This is a great response and very helpful.

I’m wondering if you would be able to explain what these terms mean, or what they mean in the context of your work. I’m not familiar with them:

- consular response
- submission (does that just mean formal advice?)
- informal note

Thanks in advance

Yours sincerely,

Jorja

Link to this

From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Tēnā koe Jorja,

 

A “consular response” is a situation where the Ministry provides consular
assistance to New Zealanders in accordance with the Vienna Convention on
Consular Relations 1963. The term “response” is sometimes applied to
larger scale situations, rather than the provision of consular assistance
to an individual. More information about the Ministry’s consular services
can be found on the [1]www.mfat.govt.nz website, and in the Ministry’s
annual “Consular Snapshot” publications.

 

The terms “submission” and “informal note” are found in the Ministry’s
Style Guide. Submissions​ are the main form of communication with our
Ministers. They present information to enable decisions to be
taken, respond to requests for information, provide background information
for calls or events, and to provide summary information about Cabinet
papers. Submissions use a standard Ministry template.

 

“Informal notes” provide information to the Minister. An “Aide Memoire”
(literally a “memory aid”) provides a factual summary and is used by
Ministers when delivering interventions or taking part in (e.g. Cabinet)
discussions. Submissions and Aide Memoires use standard Ministry
templates.

 

Hopefully this helps.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

 

 

----Original Message-----

From: Jorja <[2][FOI #25484 email]>

Sent: Tuesday, 5 March 2024 9:42 pm

To: ESD <[3][email address]>

Subject: Re: Official Information request - Information regarding the
conflict in Gaza

 

Dear ESD,

 

Thank you for this. This is a great response and very helpful.

 

I’m wondering if you would be able to explain what these terms mean, or
what they mean in the context of your work. I’m not familiar with them:

 

- consular response

- submission (does that just mean formal advice?)

- informal note

 

Thanks in advance

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Jorja

 

-----Original Message-----

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

 

Tēnā koe Jorja,

 

 

 

On behalf of the Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, please 
find attached the response to your official information request.

 

 

 

Ngā mihi,

 

 

 

 

 

Executive Services Division

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[4][FOI #25484 email]

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[5]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. http://www.mfat.govt.nz/
2. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[FOI #25484 email]
5. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Link to this

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