How New Zealand manages its security and intelligence agencies

Conclusion

This publication has sought to demonstrate five important points:

• Intelligence and security agencies play an important role in protecting the security of New Zealanders and the sovereignty of New Zealand.
  
  
• Intelligence and security agencies are not new. In all cases, they have been part of government for a number of decades. What is new is a growing awareness that, while their operations must remain secret, information about the role and accountability of our intelligence and security agencies should be available to the public.
  
  
• Three of the four operational agencies - GCSB, EAB and DDIS - are concerned only with foreign intelligence. The SIS deals with both domestic and foreign intelligence within a clearly defined legislative framework.
  
  
• None of the agencies has police powers. New Zealand does not have a secret police force.
  
  
• New Zealand has good legislation that demands that our security and intelligence agencies operate within the law and do not infringe upon the rights and privacy of law-abiding New Zealand citizens.
  
  

If you want to know more about any of these organisations, please consult the directory.