New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
12 March 2019
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
Jack Webb
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #9590 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
Dear Jack Webb
I refer to your email of 14 February 2019 in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
“I would like to request information about the process for granting diplomatic
agrément to incoming ambassadors and high commissioners to New Zealand.
In particular,
1) I realise these may not exist, but I would like a copy of any official guidelines
or other document of the process for responding to these requests.
2) Are statistics available on the number of requests approved and denied?
3) What kind of information is customarily compiled about a prospective
ambassador or high commissioner before responding to a request?”
Part 1 and Part 3
For part 1 and part 3 of your request, attached is the document relevant to your request.
Some portions of the document are out of scope of the request. For the portions identified
as being within scope, no information has been withheld under the OIA.
Also relevant to your request is the
Guidelines for the Diplomatic and Consular Corps document
which
can
be
found
on
the
Ministry’s
website
at:
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/embassies/guidelines-for-diplomatic-and-consular-corps/. The
section titled ‘Staff of the Mission or Post, Chapter 2: Heads of Diplomatic Missions’ contains
information about seeking agrément. To the extent your request is for this information, it is
refused under section 18(d) of the OIA as this information is publicly available.
Part 2
For part 2 of your request, I am advised that since January 2015, there have been 142
Foreign Head of Mission (HOM) requests for agrément. Of these requests, 140 were
approved, none were denied, one was withdrawn and one is currently under action.
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
