The Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body that was established by the Human Rights Commission Act 1977, and currently works under the Human Rights Act 1993. The Human Rights Act 1993 expanded the protections against discrimination for New Zealanders by adding disability, political opinion, employment status, family status and sexual orientation as protected grounds.

The Human Rights Amendment Act 2001 made significant changes to the Act, expanding the Commission’s focus from anti-discrimination to broader human rights.

The Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission works to create continuous meaningful improvement in the realisation of human rights for all people in Aotearoa New Zealand through its projects, campaigns and publications.