New Zealand became a Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on February 27, 2005. 

The Ministry of Health and NZ Customs Service makes public meetings with the tobacco industry available on their websites, but minutes and/or outcomes are not published. No comprehensive set of rules exists for public officials on regulating their interactions with the industry. Interaction between public officials, MPs and the tobacco industry is governed by general conflict of interest guidelines only. There is also no specific policy to disallow contributions from the tobacco industry, although such interactions are governed by broader anti-corruption regulation.

The Ministry of Health makes available on its website annual tobacco returns filed by tobacco manufacturers and importers as industry revenues are required to be public by NZ company law. However, in general the NZ government does not ensure that the public has access to a wide range of information on tobacco industry activities. The government does not require information from the industry regarding marketing expenditures and any other activity, including lobbying, philanthropy, political contributions and all other activities. Nor does the government have a comprehensive or systematic strategy for raising awareness within government departments on policies relating to FCTC Article 5.3.