International Strategy

Strategy for International Obligations 2004/07

Note: This is the full text of the strategy prepared in 2004 setting out how the Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ approaches its responsibilities in meeting New Zealand’s obligations in relation to women.

Purpose

This document sets out the strategy for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (the Ministry) in relation to international relations and the work plan in relation to international issues for the financial year 2004/05. The strategy defines the role of the Ministry in relation to international issues and builds on the experience to date of working on international issues. It defines the processes by which the Ministry will work to achieve the goals set by government in relation to its foreign policy on the status of women but does not itself set goals.

It provides guidance and direction to the Ministry’s future work in relation to
New Zealand’s international obligations and also provides other government agencies and stakeholders with an understanding of:

• the role of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs
  the way in which that role complements that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
• the organisational goals of the Ministry
• the way in which the Ministry will engage with stakeholders how the Ministry will allocate resources.

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Key elements of the strategy

The strategy operates in the context of the wider government goals as to New Zealand’s international role but focuses on the particular responsibilities the Ministry has for international issues that relate to women. It emphasises the significance of the institutions and instruments of the United Nations, such as the Convention for Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the obligations and responsibilities that flow from them.

The strategy also reflects the fact that in discharging its responsibilities in this area the Ministry works closely both with other government agencies, particularly MFAT, and with key stakeholders outside of government with an interest in international issues relevant to women. The relationship with external stakeholders is especially important and is central to the ability of the Ministry to achieve its goals effectively. The strategy sets out the ways by which the Ministry will work collaboratively with external stakeholders and how it will meet its responsibility to assist them to effectively contribute to meeting New Zealand’s international obligations, including the ways by which it will fund their participation in international fora.

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Work Plan

The Work plan identifies:

• those issues that arise in the year 2004/05
• the way in which the Ministry will meet its responsibilities in relation to those issues and
• how the Ministry has allocated resources to international issues for the current financial year.

Role of the Ministry in relation to international issues

The Statement of Intent for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs describes its role as managing New Zealand’s international obligations on the status of women. In discharging this responsibility, the Ministry works closely with MFAT, which has primary responsibility for promoting and protecting New Zealand’s interests in the world. In particular, MFAT is the primary representative of New Zealand in international fora and is primarily responsible for working with foreign governments and off shore organisations.

The Ministry has a dual focus to the work it undertakes in order to discharge its responsibility. It focuses externally on the role New Zealand plays as a good international citizen in international fora and focuses internally on promoting development of domestic policy that is consistent with the international obligations assumed by the government.

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External focus

The goals determined by government in relation to international issues, and the outcomes identified as necessary to achieve those goals, direct the external focus of the Ministry’s work. The Government’s external policy goal is to have New Zealand seek to influence the international environment to promote our interests and values and to contribute to a stable, peaceful and prosperous world¹. The role of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is to work towards that goal in relation to issues relevant to the well-being and interests of women.

In particular, the role of the Ministry is to enhance the ability of New Zealand to protect and promote the interests and well-being of women as recognised at an international level by the institutions and instruments of the United Nations. This means that CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, the work programme of the Commission on the Status of Women and the institutional arrangements derived from them are the focus of the work of the Ministry in relation to this goal.

The external focus of the Ministry’s role requires it to work in ways that enhances the ability of New Zealand to do two things:

• to act as a guardian of the values that promote and protect the interests and well-being of women as recognised by United Nations institutions and instruments and
• to promote and support the adoption and implementation of policies and programmes that are consistent with international instruments that promote and protect the well-being and interests of women.

New Zealand has a particular relationship with the Pacific Region and relationships with other Pacific nations are particularly important in the context of the external focus of the Ministry’s work. The Ministry will seek to work with Pacific states to enhance the capacity for Pacific perspectives to be heard in international fora.

The Ministry will also work with MFAT to ensure that processes adopted by international fora are consistent with those values recognised by the United Nations as being necessary to promote and protect the interests of women, and in particular provide for appropriate participation of representatives of civil society.

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Internal focus

The Ministry also promotes the development of domestic policy in ways that reflect the international responsibilities of New Zealand in relation to the interests and well-being of women. It is responsible for ensuring that the New Zealand government fully complies with the reporting requirements in relation to its international obligations concerning the status of women and, thus, is accountable for the extent to which domestic policy is consistent with its international obligations. In discharging this responsibility, the Ministry will work closely with other government agencies responsible for policy areas relevant to those responsibilities.

These reporting obligations are central to ensuring that governments are accountable for their performance in relation to the obligations they assume under international agreements. The reporting obligations and associated processes provide a clear link between the external focus and the internal focus of the work of the Ministry in two ways. First, the reports relate to the domestic policy and practice of government and the extent to which each are consistent with the relevant international obligations. Second, the role of civil society groups such as NGOs is central to the reporting process, both in relation to the means by which government compiles its own report and the ability of NGOs to contest and challenge the government report by independent participation in the reporting process.

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Organisational goals

The Ministry also seeks to ensure that the way in which it undertakes its role in relation to international issues meets specific organisational goals:

• to support our Minister in relation to international issues and in particular support her participation in, and attendance at, international fora
• to ensure that the role of civil society is respected and that the processes adopted by the Ministry provide for appropriate participation of NGOs
• to ensure that the Ministry is aware of the perspective of NGOs on international issues and of any concerns they may have about issues or processes
• to ensure that the progress made by New Zealand in relation to its international obligations and our achievements in relation to the interests of women are recognised in international fora.

Key relationships

Government relationships

The Ministry will benefit from developing working relationships with sister agencies in other jurisdictions, such as Australia, Norway and Canada. It will seek, therefore, to develop opportunities to share knowledge and experience and expand the working network of women working to mainstream gender issues within government processes.

The Ministry also has key relationships with other government agencies in New Zealand, principally with MFAT. However, the Ministry also has important relationships with other agencies engaged in international issues relevant to the interests and well-being of women, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour.

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Stakeholder relationships
The other key set of relationships for the Ministry in this context is with external stakeholders, those agencies and individuals outside of government with an interest in international issues that relate to women. These relationships are important for two reasons.

First, stakeholders are central to the process of monitoring the extent to which domestic policy reflects New Zealand’s international obligations in relation to women and to the integrity of the processes by which New Zealand is held accountable for its compliance with its international obligations. Second, many stakeholder groups have extensive international networks and valuable expertise in issues relevant to international fora, which means they are also an important resource available to enhance the ability of New Zealand to operate effectively at international fora. The contribution of both government agencies and NGOs is central to New Zealand’s capacity to function effectively at international fora and advance its strategic goal internationally.

It is important, therefore, that the respective roles and responsibilities of government and non-government organisations in relation to international fora and processes are clearly defined and that there is a common understanding of the nature of such roles and the way in which those roles will be discharged.

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Ministry Support for External Stakeholders

This strategy identifies that the contribution of individuals and organisations outside of government is central to the ability of the Ministry to discharge its responsibilities in relation to international issues effectively. The Ministry accepts its responsibility to work collaboratively with NGOs and key individuals to facilitate their contribution and to enhance the overall capacity of New Zealand to achieve its goals.

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Caucus on International Women’s Issues
At the beginning of the 2004/05 financial year, the Minister of Women’s Affairs convened a meeting of stakeholders and government agencies to debrief New Zealand’s participation in 7WAMM. The meeting also discussed ways to work effectively and collectively on international issues in the future. The Ministry has identified that a priority for the financial year 2004/05 is to build on that initiative and to ensure that those key relationships enhance New Zealand’s capacity to operate effectively at international fora.

To this end, the Ministry will develop the current group and establish a Caucus on International Women’s Issues to provide a mechanism for government agencies and NGO groups to work collaboratively on international issues relevant to the interests and well-being of women. The purpose of the Caucus will be to provide a forum for relevant individuals and government agencies to share information to enhance the capacity of New Zealand to contribute effectively to international fora relevant to the interests and well-being of women.

The Caucus will consist of representatives of key government agencies working on international issues and key individuals outside of government with expertise and experience in relation to international issues. Its initial membership will build on those who participated in the first meeting convened by the Minister in July 2004. The Working Protocol for the Caucus is attached as Appendix One.

Funding
An important way in which the Ministry is able to support the contribution of NGOs to international issues is by providing funding in specific situations. This strategy sets out the guidelines for decisions of the Ministry in relation to funding these activities. The guidelines for such funding are based on the experience and policy of the Ministry to date and are also intended to ensure appropriate accountability for public expenditure and that decisions about funding are transparent. These policies will also be the basis for the preparation of future annual budgets.

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Consultation in New Zealand
The Ministry has a responsibility to ensure that all reports prepared for international fora provide a comprehensive overview of all relevant issues and reflect the range of views held by New Zealand women on the relevant issues. It will, therefore, conduct consultation processes with New Zealand women and will, when developing any consultation processes, take responsibility for ensuring that the consultation is conducted in a way that minimises the cost incurred by NGOs and their members and maximises the opportunities for participation.

The Ministry will pay koha in relation to any function organised on marae in accordance with government policy in relation to consultation. The Ministry may also contract specific groups, including NGOs, to provide specific services in relation to those processes, such as venues or the cost of hospitality.

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NGO participation in international fora
Participation in, and attendance at, international fora by NGO representatives can enhance the effectiveness of New Zealand’s contribution. It also enhances the legitimacy of New Zealand’s contribution and ensures that the processes used by New Zealand are consistent with the values underpinning those international agreements to which we are party.

However, the cost of participation in such fora is such that without government assistance opportunities for participation by NGO representatives may be limited. In determining the policy framework for funding of such activity it is necessary to identify the benefit to New Zealand from such funding and ensure that the funding can be managed in a way that is consistent with appropriate accountability for public expenditure.

There are two types of international fora to which NGO participation is relevant:
those which develop and promote policies and agreements to advance the interests of women (such as CSW); and those relating to accountability processes (principally CEDAW).

There is clear recognition that on occasion the skills and expertise of NGO representatives can considerably enhance the capacity and contribution of a New Zealand delegation participating in an international forum. Cabinet has agreed to Guidelines (CO[00]14) to govern inclusion of such representative on Official Delegations that set out both the process for including NGOs on a delegation and the obligations required of the NGO representative.

The Cabinet guidelines note that ‘in principle’ non-official representatives on official delegations should meet their own costs but that financial assistance may be considered when non-official attendance directly advances the government’s objectives. The guidelines also provide that requests for financial assistance for participation other than as member of the official delegation (such as an Observer) should be considered on a ‘case-by-case’ basis and that such assistance will only be recommended if it directly advances the government’s objectives.

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The Ministry is bound by the terms of the Cabinet guidelines. Accordingly, this strategy proposes that a clear statement of the benefit to government from such funding, and explicit accountability mechanisms for any expenditure, are required for any funding provided for participation in international fora. The benefit to government of such participation relates to access to the skills and expertise of NGOs in areas of particular relevance to international issues and to the enhanced legitimacy to the role that New Zealand may play in specific international fora. The Ministry has recognised this contribution previously and has funded NGO representatives to participate in international fora relating to negotiating agreements or promoting policies consistent with existing instruments.

The Ministry has also previously funded NGO participation in relation to attendance at CEDAW meetings as part of the accountability process to which New Zealand is subject. NGO representatives do not attend such forum as members of the official delegation but discharge a role of independent commentators on the performance of the government in relation to compliance with its international obligations. Any government funding of such a role would reflect the commitment of government to the integrity of the reporting process and its recognition of the role of civil society in the accountability processes established by international instruments.

This strategy provides that the Ministry would fund a level of NGO participation in the CEDAW forum to reflect the significance of the accountability process. When funding is provided for NGO participation in an accountability forum it will be important to appropriately balance the requirement for accountability for public expenditure, and the level of control government would normally expect over such funding, with the integrity of the reporting process. Accountability issues require clear identification of the purpose for which such funding is provided, monitoring to ensure that is applied for such purposes, and the ability to identify the benefit achieved by such funding.

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The risk to government of such funding is the ability to effectively monitor public expenditure and identify the benefit derived. The risk to NGOs is the potential threat to their independence and the integrity of the role they play in international fora. Funding arrangements should be structured in a way that maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of such funding to both government and NGOs.

The Ministry will not fund domestic processes undertaken by NGOs as part of the process by which they prepare a contribution to international fora responsible for monitoring New Zealand’s compliance with our international obligations. It is important that such processes are independent of government and that provision of funding by government, and the associated accountability requirements, do not provide a basis for government interference in the preparation of such reports. This primarily relates to the processes under CEDAW.

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Funding mechanisms
The nature and extent of funding provided by the Ministry relates to only those direct costs associated with attendance at, and participation in, the relevant international forum, that is, travel and accommodation costs. There are two ways by which such funding could be provided to NGOs by government:

Representative funding;  funding is provided to specific groups recognised as being representative of women or the groups most affected by the relevant issue to allow them to attend those fora identified by government as requiring such participation

Contestable funding; government identifies the skills and experience from outside of government that would enhance New Zealand’s contribution and seeks proposals from relevant groups as to how they could provide such skills and experience.

Representative funding provides the greatest autonomy to NGO groups and allows them most control over their involvement so is most appropriate for funding in relation to accountability processes as it best preserves the independence and integrity of the NGO. The Ministry will use this mechanism to fund NGO participation in the CEDAW accountability process.

Contestable funding is most appropriate for those occasions when the NGO representative is part of the official delegation and bound by the provisions of the Cabinet Guidelines as to the conditions applying to their participation. It provides the best means to ensure that the participation of non-government individuals enhances the capacity of New Zealand to effectively participate in the relevant forum. The Ministry will use this funding mechanism when funding participation of NGOs as part of the official delegation in accordance with the Cabinet guidelines.
 
Monitoring the Strategy

The Strategy will allow the Ministry to apply the limited resources available for international work in a manner that achieves the best value in relation to protecting and promoting the interests and well-being of women and ensures that New Zealand acts consistently with its international obligations. The focus of the strategy is on ensuring that the Ministry is able to make an effective contribution to assisting New Zealand achieve its policy goal for external relations, that New Zealand is able to promote and protect the interests and well-being of women and that the Ministry’s work on international issues advances its organisational goals.

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The limited resources available to the Ministry mean that the focus of work in any one financial year will reflect the extent of any relevant international obligations that year. For instance, in a year in which New Zealand is required to participate in a reporting process, there will be less resource available for participation in, or contribution to, other fora.

The strategy identifies the goals the Ministry seeks to achieve in relation to international issues and will allow the Ministry to monitor progress made in relation to those goals. It will be important to work closely with MFAT and others involved in international fora to assess the impact of the Ministry’s work in this area. The strategy also provides the context for planning the work programme for future years. These planning processes provide an opportunity to review the strategy and identify any issues that may have changed in ways that would require the strategy to be formally reviewed. The strategy applies for the period of the current SOI (until 2007) and will be formally reviewed at that time.

Operational Issues
The Ministry will convene a meeting in October 2004 of those who attended the Minister’s meeting in July in order to establish the International Caucus and to discuss the draft Working Protocol for the Caucus and other issues relevant to working collectively to enhance New Zealand’s contribution to international fora.

The Ministry will also develop a communication strategy for international issues arising in the 2004/05 year. The strategy will ensure effective communication of information relevant to the Ministry’s responsibilities in relation to international issues and ensure effective dissemination and sharing of resources relating to international fora. It will also define processes for ensuring currency of information, such as that posted on the website.

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