6808 (2025). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

6808 (2025). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What protections, if any, exist in the Minister's department, if any, to prevent New Zealanders' information shared with US government departments, if any, being shared with third parties?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: I am advised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Ministry) implements Department of Internal Affairs and Government Communications Security Bureau requirements for controls of information of a sensitive or classified nature. The Ministry also utilises the requirements specified in the New Zealand Information Security Manual and the Department of Internal Affairs document "Security Requirements for Offshore Hosted Office Productivity Services", along with other policies, standards and guidelines, as required. As mandated in the New Zealand Information Security Manual, the Ministry adopts a risk-based approach to information security and performs certification and accreditation over systems to verify control effectiveness to mitigate risk. In addition, the Ministry complies with all legal requirements, including the Privacy Act 2020, emphasised in MFATs privacy policy.