4. A full list of the Commission’s recommendations is included as an Appendix to this submission. Legal, institutional and public policy framework for combating racial discrimination – (arts. 2 7) General Comments 5. New Zealand demographics have changed dramatically over recent years. Some major cities, such as Auckland where approximately one quarter of New Zealanders live, are particularly diverse. Data from the 2013 national census indicates that 39.1 percent of Auckland residents were born overseas, the majority in Asia or the Pacific islands.1 The 2013 census data also illustrated considerable divergence in the comparative ethnic make-up of Auckland and the rest of New Zealand, as set out in the table below: Ethnicity NZ European Māori Pasifika Asian Other Auckland 59% 11% 15% 23% 3% New Zealand 81% 17% 4% 6% 3% 6. It is questionable whether current structures and government strategies are sufficiently reflective of these diverse communities and able to respond appropriately to meet their needs. The experience of the Race Relations Commissioner is that too often issues relevant to minority ethnic communities appear to be “tacked on” to general initiatives and/or are developed without reference to the affected communities. This can limit the reach and effectiveness of initiatives. The need to separately consider ethnic minority view points and perspectives can be overlooked and the benefits that can be obtained from developing solutions in genuine partnership and consultation with affected groups is not always appreciated. 7. Although there is increasing ethnic diversity in the public service, in 2016 Europeans still made up 70.5% of public service employees. Māori, Pasifika and Asian ethnicities are all underrepresented in the top three tiers of public service management.2 Of the 29 Public Service Chief Executives, it is notable that only five are from an ethnic minority background, with two heading ministries established for the development of 1 http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/qstats-culture-identity-auck-mr.aspx https://enz.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/The-Economic-Impact-of-International-Education-in-New-Zealand-20152016.pdf 2 3