HUMAN RIGHTS IN NEW ZEALAND 20 1 0 rights of Mäori. The diversity of Mäori voices, both within Human Rights Commission initiatives Parliament and in the wider community, is testament to strengthened Mäori leadership and the development of Since 2004, the Commission has: iwi authorities. • delivered the Te Mana i Waitangi programme, In the community, the realisation of the human rights of to promote better understanding of human rights and the Treaty, including publication of a discussion document, 45 regional symposia and over 200 community dialogues Mäori as Indigenous people has improved since 2004. This is particularly evident in the steady improvement of overall socio-economic indicators for Mäori and in the growth of the Mäori economy and asset base. • established a Te Mana i Waitangi network; The latter has grown in part due to progress in Treaty published a regular newsletter, Whitiwhiti settlements, including further implementation of the Korero; and developed case studies on Crown- fisheries settlements and major settlements relating to Tangata Whenua partnerships aquaculture and forestry. An acceleration in the pace • published the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in te reo Mäori and English • published an annual review of developments of Treaty settlements since late 2007 (in response to ambitious settlement targets of 2020 and now 2014) has the potential to further strengthen the Mäori economy and empower Mäori organisations. in relation to the Treaty, in the Commission’s In the health sector, services have been devolved to Mäori Race Relations Report providers, with some success. In education, the establish- • worked with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Mäori and Te Puni Kökiri to promote and support Te Wiki o Te Reo Mäori – Mäori Language Week. ment of the Treaty as a foundational principle of the new New Zealand curriculum, coupled with the development of its partnership document Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, marks an important step in developing the Treaty partnership for future generations. adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations in 2007. Twenty years in the making, the declaration provides a clear set of standards that apply existing human rights treaties to the specific situation of Indigenous peoples. It affirms treaties, agreements and partnerships between states and Indigenous peoples, and reiterates the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. In doing so, it provides guidance to New Zealand on ways in which the Treaty partnership can be interpreted in the 21st century. With regard to language and cultural revitalisation, both the growth of the Mäori economy and government initiatives have contributed to the increased number of te reo speakers, as shown in the reports on the health of the Mäori language. Since the establishment of the Mäori Television Service in 2003, the indigenous broadcaster has significantly contributed to linguistic and cultural revitalisation, and to increasing diversity in the media. International context Ki ngä kaupapa ä taiao The Mäori Party was formed in 2004 in response to the Something that’s dear to my heart is kaupapa foreshore and seabed controversy. In 2008, it entered Mäori. I was excited to realise it lined up into a confidence-and-supply agreement with the newly with the human rights kaupapa – respect for elected National Government, which has led to the review others, right to shelter (our marae), food (kai of the Foreshore and Seabed Act, a planned constitutional – an important part of tikanga), education review, and the launch of the Whänau Ora policy. (traditionally, this was a must), freedom of The Mäori Party’s role in government indicates that a heightened political role for Mäori has the potential to strengthen the Treaty partnership and advance the human speech (marae hui) and health (hauora). (Paula Pirihi, Human Rights Commission Kaiwhakarite, March 2009) 41