During 2014/15 the Commission worked with the Iwi Leaders Forum on
the development and implementation of an autonomous Independent
Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) for the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The Iwi Leaders Forum’s UNDRIP
IMM was presented to the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva in July 2015.
In the 2014/15 year, the Commission achieved 90 outcomes that
delivered systemic change for human rights. For example:
• w
ithin the tourism industry, some companies will be involved in
providing training for reservations and tour guide staff for dealing
with people with a disability and from a variety of different ethnic
backgrounds
• an
organisation adjusted timetables and rosters to accommodate the
religion of some of its employees
• an employer arranged for staff to complete an e-learning course on
bullying and harassment
• a school promulgated new protocols for communication with parents
of children with a disability
• an agency made provision for ‘other’ alongside male and female on its
forms
• an
employer changed its recruitment practices to ensure decisions are
based on skill needs rather than personal attributes
• t he removal of racially offensive commentary and sexist advertising
from internet sites was also achieved for some complaints
The 2014/15 year also saw some significant international progress towards
improved human rights. The New Zealand Government has supported
the increasing influence of National Human Rights Institution’s (NHRIs) in
the UN human rights reporting process. It is now possible for NHRIs like
the Commission to make statements in the UN Human Rights Council.
The importance of the realisation of human rights has also been
recognised this year by governments, including New Zealand’s, in the
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, in the Samoa
Pathway. This Framework was an outcome of the Third International
Conference on Small Island Developing States and the development of
the Sustainable Development Goals 2016–2030.
The increasing influence of human rights and the United Nations Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights was also seen in the Declaration
of the G7 Leaders in June 2015 and in the publication by Unilever of the
first human rights report by a corporation. The importance of business as
agents in upholding human rights is reflected in our increased work with
business in our 2015–2018 strategic plan.
Annual Report 2015
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