NEW ZEALAND -- 2009 TIP REPORT DELIVERED

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