Wellbeing Wellbeing is a topic that Pacific peoples know well. Pacific cultural values and the traditions they drive are centred around the maintenance of relationships for the improvement of wellbeing across families and communities. This section of the report focuses on matters of economic and social wellbeing, informed by Pacific community feedback to Commission fono and relevant government data. Adequate standard of living The right to an adequate standard of living is recognised in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The right is defined as: The right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their family, including adequate food, clothing, housing and continuous improvement in living conditions.73 An adequate standard of living is essential in order to achieve other economic, social, cultural and political rights, such as the rights to health and education. Recent research indicates that working households with at least one adult of Pacific ethnicity experience the highest poverty rates (at 9.5 percent) compared with New Zealand European households (at 5.9 percent).74 The research also found that the mean number of individuals in these working households was significantly higher for Pacific peoples compared to other ethnicities, suggesting that the household income may be stretched to support a larger number of household members.75 In February 2018, Treasury established its Living Standards Framework which identified twelve dimensions that will be used to measure the 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 standard of life for Aotearoa New Zealand’s population.76 The Wellbeing Framework included indicators identified by Pacific stakeholders which were family resilience, connectedness and belonging, religious centrality and embeddedness, and cultural recognition.77 Pacific communities have told us that wealth creation is better seen as developing cultural and social resources for future generations. Traditionally, work generated income that was spread across extended families and often spread between Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. For some, business ventures are born out of the desire to provide a service to their communities.78 In 2018, Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand had the lowest net worth of all ethnic groups.79 The net worth of Pacific peoples is an average of 80 percent less than the national average in Aotearoa New Zealand.80 Statistics New Zealand net worth data highlights that Pacific peoples’ individual net worth is lower than that of other groups due to; lower equity held in owner-occupier homes; a lower number of households who own their own home; lower amounts in savings and on term-deposit; and lower balances in Kiwisaver and other managed funds. Limited wealth results in less ability to manage unexpected financial setbacks such as the loss of job, illness, family breakdown, or emergencies and vulnerable to hardship and poverty. The CEDAW Committee recommend that the New Zealand government monitor levels of pay in In-work poverty refers to a household that has one or more working members yet are still living in poverty. Alexander Plum, Gail Pacheco and Rod Hick, In-work Poverty in New Zealand, 2019 (New Zealand Work Research Institute, Auckland, 2019) at Table 5. Ibid. King, A, Huseynli, G & MacGibbon, N. 2018. Wellbeing Frameworks for the Treasury. Wellington: The Treasury. Accessed at https://treasury.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-02/dp-18-01.pdf. Thomsen, S., Tavita, J. And Levi-Teu, Z. (2018). A Pacific Perspective on the Living Standards Framework and Wellbeing. The Treasury: Wellington. Accessed at https://treasury.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-08/dp18-09.pdf. Prescott (2009), Pacific Business Sustainability in New Zealand: A Study of Tongan Experiences, PhD Thesis. Pasifika Futures. 2017. Pasifika People in New Zealand: How Are We Doing? Auckland: Pasifika Futures, p.34. Accessed at http://pasifikafutures.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PF_HowAreWeDoing-RD2-WEB2.pdf. Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation. 2015. MBIE’s Pacific Economic Strategy 2015-2021, p. 9. Accessed at Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation, MBIE’s Pacific Economic Strategy 2015-2021. 23