VZCZCXRO9441
RR RUEHNZ
DE RUEHWL #0157 1670446
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160448Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0005
INFO RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 0001
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000157 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR G/TIP AND EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP ELAB KCRM KPAO KWMN PGOV PREL SMIG NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND -- 2009 TIP REPORT DELIVERED 
 
REF: A) STATE 61811; B) STATE 59732; C) STATE 005577 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On Tuesday June 16 (New Zealand time), Charge' and 
Econoff delivered the pre-release copy of the 2009 TIP Report  to 
Peter Rider, Director for UN, Human Rights, and Commonwealth 
(UNHRC) and Paul Roberts, Policy Officer UNHRC at the New Zealand 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  The NZ officials said that 
they were grateful to have an opportunity to review the report 
prior to its official release.  Mr. Roberts said they would brief 
their Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully on the contents 
of the Report and discuss its recommendations with him and the NZ 
inter-agency governmental working group.  While both MFAT officials 
gave the report a cursory review, they were familiar with the TIP 
process and prior years' survey of New Zealand.  Rider and Roberts 
said they would provide a more considered response to the 
recommendations once they had an opportunity to study and discuss 
internally.  In their initial response they felt there was some 
disagreement between U.S. and NZ on the correct definition of 
specific elements of enumerated criminal activity. Charge said that 
the Embassy would welcome the opportunity to meet with the GNZ 
inter-agency working group. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Charge' also offered the possibility of more focused press 
briefings and the possibility of a DVC between Washington officials 
and the New Zealand press to better explain the contents of the 
2009 TIP Report.  MFAT officials expressed appreciation for the 
offer but wished to postpone their response so as to better 
ascertain the media interest in the topic. If as in previous years 
the annual report receives cursory mention in the newspaper then 
MFAT officials felt it may be more productive for both governments 
to work cooperatively in private on the recommendations rather than 
debate publicly differences publicly thus drawing unwanted media 
attention.  GNZ officials would prefer not to give the press an 
opportunity to exaggerate perceived criticism of NZ by the U.S. 
Embassy will coordinate with Washington on media guidance and relay 
the official response by the GNZ to the recommendations in the 
report. 
KEEGAN