Analysing the human rights affected The human rights that are affected by poverty in working households, which are being compounded by impacts of the pandemic, are rights that have a legal foundation in international human rights law. Human rights law provides the basis for understanding what responsibilities our government and decision-makers have and how these obligations should be realised, and for assessing whether or not these rights are being respected, protected and fulfilled. The rights affected by poverty in working households, such as the right to decent work and employment conditions, and the rights to adequate housing, health, education, food, and social security, as well as the civil and political rights such as political participation, are all human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). These rights are binding legal obligations for the New Zealand government, under the two core implementing treaties, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).7 The right to decent work What is the right to decent work? Everyone has the right to work, the right to equal pay for equal work and the right to a decent income and working conditions.8 The right to decent work and the related labour and employment rights are about ensuring human dignity through people’s livelihoods. Meaningful employment is at the heart of economic wellbeing. The right to work recognises that work is not solely a source of income that provides for the basic necessities in life, but has the potential to satisfy social, intellectual and personal needs and therefore is integral for a life of human dignity. The right to work is essential for realising other human rights and forms an inseparable and inherent part of human dignity. Every individual has the right to be able to work, allowing them to live in dignity. The right to work contributes at the same time to the survival of the individual and to that of their family, and insofar as work is freely chosen or accepted, to their development and recognition within the community.9 The ICESCR contains the most comprehensive provisions on the right to work. In Articles 6–8, the core elements of the right to work are defined as: (1) the opportunity to work; (2) free choice of employment; (3) just and favourable conditions of work; (4) non-discrimination; and (5) the right to form and join trade unions. The right to decent work is protected in Article 6 of the ICESCR, which requires governments to take steps to recognise and safeguard the right of everybody to the opportunity to gain their living by work. These requirements are further elaborated in the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ (CESCR) General Comment 18. Work as specified in article 6 of the Covenant must be decent work. This is work that respects the fundamental rights of the human person as well as the rights of workers in terms of conditions of work safety and remuneration. It also provides an income allowing workers to support themselves and their families as highlighted in Article 7 of the Covenant.10 He Urupare Tika Tangata mō te Pōharatanga ō ngā Whānau Whaimahi 9