HAWAII
STATE
ETHICS
COMMISSION
State of Hawaii • Bishop Square, 1001 Bishop Street, ASB Tower 970 • Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

August 15, 2016
Timothy E. Johns, Chair
Randall M. Tanaka, President
World Conservation Congress
National Host Committee/Hawaii 2016
1601 East West Road
Honolulu, Hl96848
Through:
Joanne Lo Grimes, Esq.
Carlsmith Ball
1001 Bishop St. Suite 2100
Honolulu, Hi 96813
Email: jgrimes@carlsmith.com
Dear Mr. Johns and Mr. Tanaka:
Thank you for your letter dated August 8, 2016, regarding proposed invitations to State of
Hawaii legislators, officials, and employees to participate in the International Union for
Conservation of Nature ("IUCN") World Conservation Congress ("WCC") events from
September 1-10, 2016, to be held at the Blaisdell Center and the Hawaii Convention Center.
It is our understanding that IUCN is providing a number of complimentary passes to the
event. The WCC Host Committee, a private non-profit organization created to assist the State
of Hawaii in carrying out its hosting obligations, has selected state officials, employees, and
legislators to receive the following passes:
•

One Day Pass. Allows the invitee to attend one day of the WCC and participate in all
public sessions/events, with access to the exhibition area. An invitee using the pass
for the first day of the WCC can attend the Opening Ceremony and the Opening
Reception. An invitee using the pass for the last day can attend the Closing
Ceremony. One day passes will be offered to: the Governor; the Lieutenant Governor;
their chiefs of staff; employees and members of the boards and commissions of the
Department of Land and Natural Resources (the primary State agency responsible for
the State's hosting of the WCC); and members of the Host Committee's Youth
Engagement Working Group, one of whom is a state employee. The value of a one
day kamaaina pass is approximately $75.

•

Four Day Pass. Allows the invitee to attend any four days of the WCC and participate
in all public sessions/events, with access to the exhibition area. Invitees include: all
state legislators; all Host Committee members and subcommittee chairs. Of the
Telephone: (808) 587-0460

Email: ethics@hawaiiethics.org Website: http://ethics.hawaii.gov/

 Timothy E. Johns, Chair
Randall M. Tanaka, President
August15,2016
Page2
thirteen Host Committee members and nine subcommittee chairs, seven are state
employees or legislators. The value of a four day kamaaina pass is approximately
$300.
•

Ten Day Pass. Allows the invitee to attend the entire WCC and participate in all public
sessions/events, with access to the exhibition area. Invitees include: the Senate
president; the chairs of the Senate committees on Tourism and International Affairs,
and Water, Land, and Agriculture; the House speaker; and the chairs of the House
committees on Tourism, and Water and Land. 1 The value of a ten day kamaaina pass
is approximately $900.

It is our understanding that the wee is held every four years and brings together several
thousands of people from government, civil society, indigenous groups, business, and
academia with the goal of conserving the environment and creating good environmental
governance. The State of Hawaii submitted the winning bid to host the WCC and entered
into a Hosting Agreement with IUCN in 2014. It is our further understanding that the invitees'
attendance will provide them with the substantive information offered, which will assist them
in better performing their duties, including the consideration of future regulations and
legislation aimed at protecting the environment. Attendance will also allow the invitees to
serve as ambassadors to promote and showcase Hawaii's resources, facilities, economic
sectors, cultural diversity, hospitality, and commitment to conservation.
The Hawaii State Ethics Commission recognizes the importance to the State in hosting
the WCC. The Commission views the attendance by the legislators and state officials and
employees described above as beneficial to the interests of the State. The Commission
notes that the WCC appears to be a joint project between the State of Hawaii and the IUCN
and, as such, the State has recognized that its interests are served by promoting the WCC.
Consequently, the Commission does not believe that the acceptance of the passes as
described above is prohibited by the State Ethics Code, Hawaii Revised Statutes chapter 84.
Thank you for your inquiry. We appreciate your sensitivity to ethical concerns. If you
have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 587-0460.

Z~i/~Jt
Staff Attorney

NCN:va
1

It is our understanding that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs {"OHA") has an agreement with the IUeN providing
that OHA will fund certain protocol and cultural aspects of the wee and, in exchange, IUeN will provide OHA
with twenty 10 Day Passes.

 '16 AUG -9 All :39
IUCN

World
Conservation
Congress

ST/:..TE OF

ST,ATE ETHiCS

~/1WJ\li
CO~li"'!ISSIJ~

Hawai'i 2016

1601 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96848
August 8, 2016

Mr. Daniel M. Gluck
Executive Director
Hawaii State Ethics Commission
1001 Bishop Street, Suite 970
Honolulu, HI 96813
Re: Proposed Invitations to State of Hawaii Employees and Legislators to Participate in
IUCN World Conservation Congress- Related Events in September 2016
Dear Director Gluck,
In September 2016, the State of Hawaii will host the 2016 IUCN World Conservation
Congress (the "Congress"), the world's largest and most diverse nature conservation event,
which convenes every four years to improve the management of the natural environment for
human, social, and economic development. In July 2014, the State of Hawaii played a key role
in preparing and submitting Hawaii's winning proposal to host the Congress in Honolulu. This
letter serves to provide you with details of the important upcoming Congress-related events and
activities to which certain State of Hawaii employees and legislators will be invited to attend.
Attendance by the invitees at these events is necessary to achieve the important State purpose
underlying the State of Hawaii's bid for the Con1,'fess.
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ("IUCN"),
a quasi-governmental international organization based in Switzerland, plans to extend proposed
invitations to State employees and Legislators as they are identified by the WCC National Host
Committee I Hawaii 2016 (the "Host Committee", a Hawaii non-profit corporation formed for
the purpose of supporting the State of Hawaii to carry out its financial and legal commitments as
the host state of the Congress). The Host Committee members include executives and leaders
from Hawaii's business, visitor industry, educational, government, civic and community sectors,
who understand and anticipate the tremendous opportunity to showcase Hawaii's natural
resources, world class facilities, and outstanding economic sectors; its culture, people, and its
diverse cultural heritage and talents, as well as its incomparable hospitality and its commitment
to conservation. The Congress also will provide an opportunity to showcase the Hawaii
Convention Center as a strategically located global meeting place and Hawaii's meetings,
incentives, conferences and exhibitions market infrastructure.

 Mr. Daniel M. Gluck
August 8, 2016
Page 2
The Congress is a ten-day event running from September I -"• through the I oth. consisting

of an Opening Ceremony and Opening Reception on September I sl, the Forum on September
2nd through the 5th, the Members' Assembly on September 6th through the I Oth, and the
Closing Ceremony on the I Olh. To provide lhe best opportunity lo fultilllhe imporlanl Stale
purpose underlying its proposal to hosl the Congress, the Hosl Committee has identified key
State employees and legislators to attend all or some of the events listed below, at no cost. These
events are designed to promote substantive learning opportunities while the invitees serve as key
"ambassadors" for Hawaii. Participation will enable the invitees to network with delegates from
private, public, and nonprofit sectors, allowing them lo keep abreast of topical and relevant
information about the environment and conservation on a global basis. The information to he
gleaned from participation at these events will help ench cmployt:c and legislator better perform

his or her official duties, which include lhe consideration of future regulations and legislations to
conserve and protect Hawaii's natural resources.
Certain State employees and legislators will be offered the f\1llowing invitations:

1

I.

One Dav Pass. The one-day pass would allow the invitee lo attend,
without charge, any one day of the Congress, and participate in all public
sessions/events. plus access to the exhibition area. An invitee using the
pass for the first day of the Congress also can attend the Opening
Ceremony and Opening Reception. An invitee using the pass for the lasl
day of the Congress also can attend the Closing Ceremony. The Opening
Ceremony will feature a presentation protocol by the Kumu Hula and Hula
Practitioners of the L\Hikea Foundation. Invitations will be offered to
approximately 700 invitees, including the Governor and Lt. Governor of
Hawaii, their Chiefs of Staff~ employees and members of boards and
commissions of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (the
primary State agency responsible for the State's hosting of the Congress),
·and members of the Host Committee's Youth Engagement Working
Group' f\1rmcd to ensure participation by Hawaii's youth. The value of a
one-day kama'aina pass is approximately $75.00. For information
regarding registration fees, sec
http://iucnworldconservationcongress.org/participer/inscriptionlregistratio
n- fees-and-categories.

2.

Four Dav Pass. The four-day pass would allow the invitee lo attend,
without charge, any four days of the Congress and participate in all public
sessions/events, plus access to the exhibition area (such as the Forum from
September 2- 5). plus access lo the exhibition area. The Forum is a hub
of pub Iic debate, bringing together people from all around the world to
discuss and develop solutions to the world's most pressing conservation
and sustainabilily challenges. Topics demonstrate innovative, scalable
solutions from all areas and !rom all around the globe to address
challenges at local and global levels- from small islands to entire regions,

The Youth Engagement Group includes one memher who is a State of Hawaii employee.

 Mr. Daniel M. Gluck
August 8, 20 16
Page 3
from individual to collective actions_ The Forum will include high level
dialogues to training workshops that explore the depths of conservation
and innovation. For information about the Forum, see
http://www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org'programme'forum_ The
four-day pass also could be used to attend any other days of the Congress.
Invitees include all State of Hawaii legislators, and all Host Committee
members and subcommittee chairs-' The value of a four-day kama'aina
pass is approximately $300.00.
3_

Ten·Day Pass. The ten-day pass is to attend the entire Congress from
September I- 10, participate in all public sessions'events such as the
Forum and Member's Assembly, with access to the exhibition area. See,
http:l/iucnworldconservationcongress.org!programme. The ten-day pass
also includes the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Opening
Reception. Invitees include the State of Hawaii Senate President, the
chairs of Senate committees on Tourism & International Affairs, and
Water, Land & Agriculture; the State of Hawaii House Speaker and chairs
of House committees on Tourism, and Water & Land_ Twenty ten-day
passes also have been provided to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs
("OHA'') to be used by OHA employees to attend the Congress and
monitor the proceedings and learn various challenges and solutions to the
world's environment and development issues, in connection with ORA's
Strategic Goals of Economic Self-Sufficiency, Education, Health, Land
and Water, Culture, and Governance. TI1e value of a ten·day kama'aina
registration to the full Congress is approximately $900.00.

The Host Committee has played a vital role in supporting the efforts of the State of
and will assist State employees and legislators in registering for the Congress should they
accept the proposed invitations.
H~waii

We respectfully request your opinion on the appropriateness of extending invitations to
State of Hawaii employees and legislators to the above-listed events, to promote a bona fide
State purpose as described in this letter. Thank you very much.
Very truly yours,

wee National Host Committee! Hawaii 2016

~~lf[)
\__ TimohlE

Jlh:s~Chair

Randall M. Tanaka, President

4826-9918-802 I -5.il67091-0000~

Of the thirteen Host Committee members and nine subcommittee chairs, ;:spproximately .'Ieven per~on-. abo are
State of Hawaii employees or legislator\.

2