South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting 2024: Briefings

Additional info

The pack comprises the following documents:

• South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting 2024: Briefing Document
• South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting 2024: Bilateral Meetings.

The Bilateral Briefings pack mentions a potential meeting with France which did not proceed.

It has been necessary to withhold certain information in accordance with the following provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. Where information is withheld, the relevant sections of the Act are indicated in the body of the document. Where information has been withheld in accordance with section 9(2) of the Act, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it.

Information is withheld where making it available would be likely to prejudice:

• the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand [section 6(a)]
• the entrusting of information to the Government of New Zealand on a basis of confidence by the Government of any other country [section 6(b)(i)].

Information is also withheld in order 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)(f)(iv)]
• 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 [section 9(2)(g)(i)].

Tab Four: Meeting and Concept Papers (pages 54 – 79) of the briefing pack has also been withheld in full under sections 6(a), 6(b)(i) and 6(b)(ii). This information was provided to New Zealand under the basis of  confidence.