New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
23 August 2024
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
Andrew Riddell
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #27611 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
OIA 29529
Tēnā koe Andrew Riddell
Thank you for your email of 12 July 2024 in which you request the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA):
‘Has any payment been made this year by the New Zealand government to the UNRWA? If
so, when was the decision to fund made, when was the payment made and how much was
paid.’
On 9 August 2024, the timeframes for responding to your request were extended by an additional
10 working days due to the consultations necessary to make a decision on your request (section
15A(1)(b) of the OIA refers).
In the 2023-2024 financial year, 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, New Zealand provided the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with
NZ$1 million in core funding.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs issued an X (formerly Twitter) post on this disbursement on
7 June 2024, available here:
twitter.com/NewZealandMFA/status/1798830839616434205. The
decision to disburse this planned funding was taken on 4 June 2024.
New Zealand has supported UNRWA since its establishment in 1949, including through
engagement on its mandate and financial contributions. Under our current three-year
arrangement (2021/22-2023/24), New Zealand provided UNRWA with NZ$1 million in core
funding annually. The decision to provide UNRWA with NZ$1 million in funding annually over
2021/22-2023/24 was taken on 16 December 2021.
In the absence of a two-state solution, it is New Zealand’s longstanding view that UNRWA plays a
unique and essential role in ensuring the humanitarian and development needs of Palestinian
refugees are met in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank.
New Zealand takes the January 2024 allegations that certain UNRWA employees participated in
the 7 October 2023 Hamas terror attacks on Israel very seriously. In response to the allegations
New Zealand did not pause funding. However, disbursing our NZ$1 million core funding in
June 2024 followed careful consideration of the UN’s response, including external and internal
investigations. It also reflected assurances received from the UN Secretary-General about
remedial work underway to enhance UNRWA’s neutrality.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information
requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your personal information
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
Page 2 of 2
removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-
us/official-information-act-responses/
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
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
