Your responsibilities

Two human hands hold a small globe. New Zealand's privacy laws are just one part of a world-wide picture of privacy protection. Privacy is protected as a human right at the highest international level.

UN instruments

The United Nations has adopted provisions or instruments that protect privacy. For example:

OECD and APEC

A number of international bodies have developed more detailed guidelines for information privacy protection. Examples from two organisations that New Zealand is a member of are:

New Zealand has filed an Individual Action Plan (IAP) under the APEC Privacy Framework. IAPs from other APEC economies are also available for comparison and further information.

Cross-Border Privacy Enforcement Agreement (CPEA)

New Zealand has published its enforcement jurisdiction and policies as a participant in the APEC Cooperation Arrangement for Cross-Border Privacy Enforcement (CPEA).

Read the Summary Statement of Privacy Enforcement Authority enforcement practices, policies. and activities.
Read the latest European Commission decision that New Zealand privacy law provides an adequate standard of data protection for the purposes of EU law.

Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA)

Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities is the principal forum for regional privacy authorities to form partnerships and exchange ideas about privacy regulation, new technologies and the management of privacy enquiries and complaints.

Other international networks

Global Privacy Assembly	The Global Privacy Assembly first met in 1979 as the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners. The Assembly has been the premier global forum for data protection and privacy authorities for more than four decades.
International Working Group on Data Protection in Telecommunications (IWGDPT)	The group meets periodically throughout the year in member countries, and members have developed common positions on a wide range of issues. IWGDPT working papers and common position papers are available from the IWGDPT website.
Australia	Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Information and Privacy Commission NSW Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner Office of the Information Commissioner, Queensland Office of the Information Commissioner, Northern Territory Tasmanian Ombudsman
Cross-Tasman initiative to promote privacy protection In 2008, the Privacy Commissioners of New Zealand and Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding that allowed for cooperation between their offices on privacy-related issues. The agreement covers sharing information about surveys, research projects, promotional campaigns, education and training programs, and techniques in investigating privacy violations and regulatory strategies. It also addresses cooperation on complaints with a cross-border element and the possible undertaking of joint investigations. Read the Memorandum (opens to PDF, 3.6MB).
Canada	Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia Manitoba Ombudsman Information and Privacy Commissioner, Newfoundland and Labrador Office of the Commissioner of Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ontario Commissioner for Access to Information, Quebec Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner
Elsewhere	Council of Europe Electronic Privacy Information Centre European Union