Conclusion Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand are vibrant, young, hard-working, complex thinkers who have successfully faced generations of challenges in response to more powerful sectors of society. In conversation with community members and groups, we saw the values of service and care, and those we spoke to wanted to ensure that the voices of others were heard alongside theirs. It became evident that many Pacific peoples do not have an adequate standard of living, which impacts their pursuit of family and community wellbeing. They remain over-represented in areas of deprivation, including working in lower-skilled manual work, higher unemployment rates and lower income levels.135 Many of these problems are exacerbated by the persistence of racism and discrimination. We see Pacific peoples as experts in identifying the challenges facing their communities, and we recognise they could be better supported to understand how human rights can be used as an advocacy lever for empowerment. There needs to “This dialogue is so important! Having non-Pasifika people as part of this particular forum is valuable because 1. our voice needs to be heard and 2. Pasifika people have been trying to talk and tell our stories having them heard outside of the Pasifika communities is so important!” be more discussion and consideration for disabled Pacific peoples, those who identify with the SOGISC community as well as women, girls and children. The Commission is glad to make this baseline information resource available to Pacific peoples, governments, NGOs and other stakeholders working towards the advancement of Pacific peoples. The Commission envisions holding more consultation fono with Pacific peoples, to discuss this initial thinking and to inform the collaborative development and priorities of the Commission’s human rights strategy for Pacific peoples. Young performers at Polyfest in Auckland. Picture courtesy of Penina Momoiseā for the CoconetTV 135 44 Tunoa, A. 2018. Pacific peoples Progress in the Labour Market: A Literature Review. Auckland: Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and the Southern Initiative, p. 11. Talanoa: Human rights issues for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand