UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
195 Lambton Quay
16 June 2025
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
Will Bruce
OIA 30135
[FYI request #30944 email]
Tēnā koe Will Bruce
Thank you for your email of 11 May 2025, transferred from the Ministry of Justice on
16 May 2025, in which you request the following under the Official Information Act 1982
(OIA):
1. Copies of any legal advice provided to the government since October 2023 on
whether Israel’s actions in Gaza violate international law (e.g., Genocide
Convention, Geneva Conventions).
2. Assessments of NZ’s legal obligations regarding arms exports, sanctions, or
diplomatic measures related to Israel-Palestine.
3.
Records of communications with the International Criminal Court (ICC) or
International Court of Justice (ICJ) about this conflict.
Response to your request
Regarding part 1 of your request, two documents are in scope and are withheld in full,
including their titles, 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; and
• 9(2)(h): to maintain legal professional privilege.
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, no public interest
in releasing the information has been identified that would override the reasons for
withholding it.
The following publicly available information, published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade’s (the Ministry) website, is also in scope of parts 1 and 2 of your request:
•
www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/OIA/OIA-2025/OIA-29785-Israel-Gaza-19-December-
2024.pdf
•
www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/OIA/OIA-2025/OIA-29917-NZ-Trade-Policy-and-Legal-
Obligations-regarding-Israel-5-March-2025.pdf
•
www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/OIA/OIA-2025/OIA-29758-Israel-Gaza-policy-settings-5-
December-2024.pdf
•
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources/oia-29329-advice-on-
palestine-statehood-recognition
•
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/OIA/OIA-2025/OIA-30086-Advice-on-proposed-
Unlawful-Occupation-of-Palestine-Sanctions-Bill.pdf
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 2
•
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/OIA/OIA-2024/MFA-letter-to-John-Minto-
National-Chair-Palestinian-Solidarity-Network.pdf
One further document, ‘Government Response to the Petition of Maher Nazzal on behalf
of NZ All Out for Gaza’ will soon be available on the Ministry’s website. Accordingly, your
request for these documents is refused under section 18(d) of the OIA, as it is, or will
soon be, publicly available
: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources
Regarding part 3 of your request, the Ministry has not identified any documents that
constitute communications with the International Criminal Court or the International
Court of Justice regarding this conflict. Accordingly, this part of your request is refused
under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the information does not exist.
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 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
