Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1949, as the Joint Intelligence Office [1] |
Jurisdiction | Government of New Zealand [1] |
Headquarters | Wellington, New Zealand [1] |
Employees | 30 [1] |
Annual budget | $3.1 m NZD (2006/07) |
Minister responsible | |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet [1] |
Website | National Assessments Bureau |
The National Assessments Bureau (NAB), previously known as the External Assessments Bureau (EAB), is a New Zealand intelligence analysis agency within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). [1] The NAB along with the Government Communications Security Bureau and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service is one of the three core members of New Zealand's intelligence community. [2] It provides assessments to the Prime Minister, other Ministers, senior officials and New Zealand's diplomatic missions abroad, on events and developments that bear on New Zealand's interests, especially in regard to matters of national security. [3] [4]
The NAB is responsible for collecting and analysing information on external matters which may affect New Zealand, including foreign states, individuals, and events. It draws its information from a range of public and confidential sources including the Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), New Zealand diplomatic posts, academic discourse, the media, and other publicly available sources. The NAB itself does not undertake intelligence-gathering operations. Its role is to interpret and process information from other sources, producing reports which may be used as a basis for decision-making in other branches of government. [1]
Unlike the SIS and GCSB, the NAB is not subject to the oversight of the Intelligence and Security Committee or the jurisdiction of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. [5] [6] The NAB is part of the Security and Intelligence Group within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The current Director of the National Assessments Bureau is Cecile Hillyer. The NAB has thirty staff, with most being assessment analysts specializing on regional or topical issues. The Director of the NAB also chairs the National Intelligence Coordination Committee, which coordinates the efforts of the New Zealand intelligence community. [1] Together with the NZSIS and GCSB, the NAB forms one of the three core members of New Zealand's intelligence community. [2]
The National Assessments Bureau's origins can be traced back to the Joint Intelligence Office (JIO), which was established in 1949. In 1953, it was renamed the Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB). In 1975, the JIB was renamed the External Intelligence Bureau (EIB). In 1988, the EIB was renamed the External Assessments Bureau (EAB). By 1990, the EAB had been incorporated into the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). In March 2010 the EAB was renamed the National Assessments Bureau (NAB) and given a domestic security focus as well. [1] [3]
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD), is the federal statutory agency in the Australian Government responsible for foreign signals intelligence, support to military operations, cyber warfare, and information security. ASD is part of the Australian Intelligence Community. ASD's role within UKUSA Agreement is to monitor signals intelligence ("SIGINT") in South and East Asia. The ASD also houses the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
The Office of National Assessments (ONA) was an Australian statutory intelligence agency established by the Office of National Assessments Act 1977 as an independent statutory body directly accountable to the Prime Minister of Australia as a portfolio agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. ONA provided all-source assessments on international political, strategic and economic developments to the Prime Minister and the National Security Committee of Cabinet. ONA also played a coordination role in the Australian Intelligence Community through evaluating foreign intelligence products, convening the National Intelligence Coordination Committee, and developing relationships with intelligence agencies around the world.
The prime minister of New Zealand is the head of government of New Zealand. The incumbent prime minister, Christopher Luxon, leader of the New Zealand National Party, took office on 27 November 2023.
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service is New Zealand's primary national intelligence agency. It is responsible for providing information and advising on matters including national security and foreign intelligence. It is headquartered in Wellington and overseen by a Director-General, the Minister of New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, and the parliamentary intelligence and security committee; independent oversight is provided by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.
The Government Communications Security Bureau is the public-service department of New Zealand charged with promoting New Zealand's national security by collecting and analysing information of an intelligence nature. The GCSB is considered to be New Zealand's most powerful intelligence agency, and has been alleged to have conducted more espionage and data collection than the country's primary intelligence agency, the less funded NZSIS. This has at times proven controversial, although the GCSB does not have the baggage of criticism attached to it for a perceived failure to be effective like the NZSIS does. The GCSB is considered an equivalent of GCHQ in the United Kingdom or the NSA in the United States.
Nicolas Alfred Hager is a New Zealand investigative journalist. He has produced seven books since 1996, covering topics such as intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He is one of two New Zealand members of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) is the official responsible for supervising New Zealand's two main intelligence agencies: the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).
The Australian Intelligence Community (AIC) and the National Intelligence Community (NIC) or National Security Community of the Australian Government are the collectives of statutory intelligence agencies, policy departments, and other government agencies concerned with protecting and advancing the national security and national interests of the Commonwealth of Australia. The intelligence and security agencies of the Australian Government have evolved since the Second World War and the Cold War and saw transformation and expansion during the Global War on Terrorism with military deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and against ISIS in Syria. Key international and national security issues for the Australian Intelligence Community include terrorism and violent extremism, cybersecurity, transnational crime, the rise of China, and Pacific regional security.
New Zealand's intelligence agencies and units have existed, with some interruption, since World War II. At present, New Zealand's intelligence community has approximately 550 employees, and has a combined budget of around NZ$145 million.
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Foreign espionage in New Zealand, while likely not as extensive as in many larger countries, has nevertheless taken place. The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), which has primary responsibility for counter-intelligence work, states that there are foreign intelligence agents working in New Zealand today.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with providing support and advice to the governor-general, the prime minister and members of the Cabinet of New Zealand. The department is also charged with centrally leading New Zealand's "national security planning, which includes civil defence."
The Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination (ODESC) is a New Zealand government committee which gives the Prime Minister strategic policy advice on security and intelligence matters. Operational security matters are handled by other groups, including the Defence Force, the Ministry of Defence, the Security Intelligence Service, the Government Communications Security Bureau and Police.
New Zealand is committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which contain a right to privacy. Privacy law in New Zealand is dealt with by statute and the common law. The Privacy Act 2020 addresses the collection, storage and handling of information. A general right to privacy has otherwise been created in the tort of privacy. Such a right was recognised in Hosking v Runting [2003] 3 NZLR 385, a case that dealt with publication of private facts. In the subsequent case C v Holland [2012] NZHC 2155 the Court recognised a right to privacy in the sense of seclusion or a right to be free from unwanted intrusion. For a useful summary see: court-recognises-intrusion-on-seclusion-privacy-tort-hugh-tomlinson-qc/
The Government Communications Security Bureau Act 2003 is a repealed New Zealand Act of Parliament. It formalised the role of the Government Communications Security Bureau, which had previously existed in various states of secrecy since 1977, as the national authority for signals intelligence and information systems security, and put it on a similar legislative footing to the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.
The Government of the United Kingdom maintains several intelligence agencies that deal with secret intelligence. These agencies are responsible for collecting, analysing and exploiting foreign and domestic intelligence, providing military intelligence, and performing espionage and counter-espionage. Their intelligence assessments contribute to the conduct of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom, maintaining the national security of the United Kingdom, military planning, public safety, and law enforcement in the United Kingdom. The four main agencies are the Secret Intelligence Service, the Security Service (MI5), the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and Defence Intelligence (DI). The agencies are organised under three government departments, the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence.
Rebecca Lucy Kitteridge is a New Zealand public servant. Her current position is Deputy Public Service Commissioner and acting chief executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The Minister for National Security and Intelligence is a minister in the New Zealand Government who is responsible for leading and setting the policies and legislative framework of New Zealand's national security system. The current minister is Christopher Luxon, who is also the current Prime Minister of New Zealand, as by convention, the National Security and Intelligence portfolio is always held by the Prime Minister.
The National Intelligence Coordination Committee (NICC) is a peak intergovernmental officials-level body of the Government of Australia responsible for the development and co-ordination of the Australian Intelligence Community in accordance with the National Security Committee of Cabinet. The NICC is chaired by the Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence.
The Office of National Intelligence (ONI) is an Australian statutory intelligence agency responsible for advising the Prime Minister and National Security Committee, the production of all-source intelligence assessments, and the strategic development and enterprise management of the National Intelligence Community. The ONI is directly accountable to the Prime Minister of Australia as a portfolio agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.