Indigenous Rights Mana Taketake Our goal The human rights dimensions of the Treaty of Waitangi are understood, the rights of Māori as indigenous people are realised and human rights are enjoyed equally by all New Zealanders The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s own unique statement of human rights. It belongs to, and is a source of rights for, all New Zealanders and includes universal human rights and indigenous rights. The human rights dimensions of the Treaty are encapsulated in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The Commission has continued to work closely with others to promote and monitor the rights of tangata whenua as set out in the UNDRIP. In partnership with the Independent Monitoring Mechanism for the UNDRIP, the Commission held workshops with iwi groups and heard participants’ views and experiences on indigenous rights. The Commission continued to advocate for a national action plan for the UNDRIP, to ensure a strategic and holistic approach to its implementation. Following a successful joint event at the annual session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), the Commission continued productive discussions with Te Puni Kökiri and with the Independent Monitoring Mechanism for the UNDRIP, on developing a national plan of action. In March 2019, the Minister for Mäori Development announced that the Government will develop a national plan. Our activities at the EMRIP session attracted strong interest from members, who agreed to visit New Zealand under their new mandate to provide technical advice on the development of a national action plan. The visit was at the joint request of the Commission and the Independent Monitoring Mechanism and was carried out in cooperation with Te Puni Kökiri. During the visit the Commission hosted two hui, which attracted a high level of community interest. Constitutional issues and the right to self-determination were prominent among the topics raised at the hui, along with the need for solutions to be led by tangata whenua. These themes were reflected strongly in the EMRIP’s subsequent Advisory Note offering valuable and practical recommendations for the development of a national action plan for the UNDRIP. Annual Report 2019 23