Community Engagement Report for developing a National Action Plan Against Racism Aotearoa New Zealand has obligations to eliminate racism Domestic and international obligations Aotearoa New Zealand has responsibilities both domestically and under the international human rights framework to eliminate racism and discrimination. Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission (the Commission) is New Zealand’s national human rights institution (NHRI) and an independent Crown entity responsible for promoting and encouraging the protection of human rights and harmonious relations between all people in Aotearoa. As a member of the United Nations (UN), New Zealand supports the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Under international law, New Zealand must meet its human rights obligations as set out in the international human rights treaties New Zealand has ratified. The Commission monitors how the government meets these obligations. For a fuller discussion of New Zealand’s domestic and international human rights obligations please refer to Appendix Three. In 2017, the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) recommended the New Zealand Government create a National Action Plan Against Racism (the Plan), with the Race Relations Commissioner playing a leadership role in community engagement. In light of the CERD committee’s recommendations in 2017, and the terrorist attacks in 2019, the Government committed to developing the Plan. The Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) is leading the development of the Plan on behalf of the Government over 2022-23. The Ministry and the Commission have agreed to co-operate on the Plan, with the Commission agreeing to conduct preliminary community engagement to inform initial development. The Plan will include a comprehensive programme of action to target and eliminate racism in Aotearoa. For all people in Aotearoa, it will include specific actions for the Government to take to reduce and eliminate racism. The Ministry intends the process of developing the Plan to be as inclusive as possible. In addition to the Commission’s initial engagement, the Ministry may conduct further engagement with Tangata Whenua and communities and groups affected by racism. Our methodology This report is the Commission’s contribution to the Government’s response to the CERD’s recommendation to develop a national action plan against racism. It sets out what communities told us should be in the Plan during our engagement with them in the second half of 2021. The work was sponsored by Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon and the Commission’s Deputy Chief Executive and Pou Ārahi Tricia Keelan. The report presents the voices and experiences of those who have experienced racism and a summary of what Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti said should be included in the Plan. New Zealand Human Rights Commission Informed by the engagements we hosted, and guided by reports such as Maranga Mai!, He Puapua, and Matike Mai Aotearoa, as well as the Stop Institutional Racism (STIR) collective’s Briefing Paper on the development of a National Action Plan and Ko tō tātou kāinga tēnei, the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019, the Commission has developed high level recommendations for the Ministry and Government. 31