DEPARTMENT of the PRIME MINISTER and CABINET 2.8 MAR 2017 Reference: OIA-2016/17-0345, Cee Official Information Act request relating to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 | refer to your Official Information Act request dated 14 March 2017 for: * ‘Copies of all Cabinet papers relating to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334. Se © When did the Minister consult the Prime Minister and/or Secretary to the Cabinet prior to New Zealand co-spansaring United Nations Security Council lution 2334, what response did he get from the Prime Minister and/or Secretary to the Cabinet on Resolution 2334. + Copies of all briefin, meats, aide memoires, reports and other relevant Papers relating to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 prepared by MFAT and DPMC. * Copies of briefings, air memoirs, diary notes, papers and other relevant papers provided to the External Relations and Defence Committee by the Minister of Foreign Affairs prior to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 (please provide copies). * Copies of correspondence received by Minister McCully, redacted for privacy “and otfier matters relating to international relations, following United Nations Security Councit Resolution 2334.” Excluding your request for documents ‘prepared by .... DPMC” under the third part of your request, the information you have requested falls within the Foreign Affairs portfolio and is more closely related to the functions and responsibilities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. | note that you have addressed your request to the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) as well as the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). However, for completeness, | am transferrin: ur request to the Minister of Foreign Affairs under section 14 of the Official Information Act 1982. ——— ‘A number of documents have been identified as within scope of the third part of your request for "copies of all briefing documents, aide memoires, reports and other relevant papers relating to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 prepared by’.. ee Ol =PMC". The only information identified as relevant to this part your request is advice provided to the Prime Minister by the Policy Advisory Group of DPMC. This advice consists of some briefings provided to the Prime Minister and some advice for responding to questions from the media which was provided by DPMC for the Prime Minister. The bri re provided to the Prime Minister in confidence, in order to support him in his role as leader of the Goverment at inet. THIS advice is in its entirety under the following sections of the Official Information Act: * Section 9(2)(f)(v) as withholding the information is necessary to “maintain the constitutional conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials.” + Section 9(2)(g)(i) as withholding the information is necessary to ‘maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or organisation in the course of their duty.” No public interest in releasing the information that has been withheld has been ~ dented tat wou be SuMtaent To overs the reasons for winflang R.—— You are entitled to ask the Ombudsman to review this response under section 28(3) of the Act. You can contact the Ombudsman online via the Ombudsman website, by email (nfo@ombudsman,parliament.nz) or by post to The Ombudsman, PO Box 40152, Wellington 6143. Further details can be found on the Ombudsman website at: www.ombudsman parliament.nz. Yours sincerely = SEE agZz NEWZEALAND FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRAD TE April 2017 195 Lambton Quay. Private ag 18-901, Wetingten oes New 2esiang ‘+64 4 439 8000 en 472 9598 I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 14 March 2017 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and our subsequent letter of 28 March 2017 advising that we will reply in part, specifically to the following: “Copies of all briefing documents, aide memoires, reports and other relevant papers relating to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 prepared by MFAT and DPMC.” I understand the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet also responded to your request on 28 March 2017. Therefore, the Ministry's response excludes your request for “prepared by...DPMC”. The documents relevant to your request are withheld in full under the following sections of the OIA: + 6(a): _to avoid prejudicing the international relations of the New Zealand e international relations of the New 2 Government; and + 6(b): to protect the passing of information from another government on a confidential basis. You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of this response by the Ombudsman. Yours sincerely wor mft.govtngZz NEWZEALAND FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRAD TE April 2017 195 Lambton Quay. Private ag 18-901, Wetingten oes New 2esiang ‘+64 4 439 8000 en 472 9598 I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 14 March 2017 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and our subsequent letter of 28 March 2017 advising that we will reply in part, specifically to the following: “Copies of all briefing documents, aide memoires, reports and other relevant papers relating to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 prepared by MFAT and DPMC.” I understand the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet also responded to your request on 28 March 2017. Therefore, the Ministry's response excludes your request for “prepared by...DPMC”. The documents relevant to your request are withheld in full under the following sections of the OIA: + 6(a): _to avoid prejudicing the international relations of the New Zealand e international relations of the New 2 Government; and + 6(b): to protect the passing of information from another government on a confidential basis. You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of this response by the Ombudsman. Yours sincerely wor mft.govtngOffice of Hon Murray McCully Minister of Foreign Affairs ed Thank you for your email of 14 March 2017, in which you request the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA): + Copies of all Cabinet papers relating to United Nations Security Council resolution 2334, + When did the Minister consult the Prime Minister and/or Secretary to the Cabinet prior to New Zealand co-sponsoring United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, what response did he get from the Prime Minister and/or Secretary to the Cabinet on Resolution 2334. + Copies of all briefing documents, aide memoires, reports and other relevant papers relating fo United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 prepared by MFAT and DPMC. + Copies of briefings, air memoirs, diary notes, papers and other relevant papers provided to the External Relations and Defence Committee by the Minister of Foreign Affairs prior to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 (please provide copies). + Copies of correspondence received by Minister McCully, redacted for privacy and other matters relating to international relations, following United Nations Security Couneil Resolution 2334. In response to Part one of your request, the specific text of the Resoluti United Nations Security Council by Egypt, which became Resolution 233 — ‘presented fo Cabinet because the text of the resolution was received on 22 December 2016, and itwas voted on in Council, the morning of 24 December (both New Zealand time). — During New Zealand's two year term on the Security Council from January 2015, Ministers were regularly updated on New Zealand's policy settings regarding situations on the Security Council's agenda, including on the Middle East Peace Process. New Zealand's actions on the Security Council in December 2016 were consistent with those policy settings. Therefore this part of your request is refused under 18(e) of the OIA as the information does not exist- an Private Bag 1804%, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand. Telephone 64 4 817 6810 Facsimile 64 4 817 6510Part two of your request is refused under the following sections of the OIA: * 9(2)(g)(i)- to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank opinions between Ministers of the Crown in the course of their duty; and * 9(2\f)(iv) - to protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials. Part three of your request is refused under the following sections of the OIA: * 6(a)- to avoid-prejudicing the international relations of the New Zealand Government and; * 6(b) - to protect the passing of information from another Government on a confidential basis. Part four of your request is also refused under 18(e) of the OIA as the information does not exist. In response to Part 5 of your request, my office receives a large amount of correspondence every day and I can confirm that some of that correspondence followed United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 . This correspondence, and any responses to it, is withheld under 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons. ———————————————_ Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, na.public interest in _feleasing the information has been identified that would be sufficient fo override the reasons for withholding It. —_ You have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to seek a review of this response by the Ombudsman. Yours sincerely Minister of Foreign Afairs