Foreword The New Zealand Human Rights Commission has published an annual review of race relations since 2005, in order to monitor developments, identify priorities and inform public debate in the lead up to the International Day for the Elimination for Racial Discrimination in March. This year's report included a five year review for the information of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in considering the New Zealand Government's periodic report on compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. What follows is an extract from the review, published in March 2012. Links to The full report, and other publications relevant to the period under review, are provided in Appendix 1. The Commission intends to attend the Committee's examination of New Zealand and avail itself of the opportunity afforded to National Human Rights Institutions to address the Committee directly. In the meantime we would appreciate your posting this report on the Committee's website so that it can be referenced by others. If there is any other way the Commission can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be encouraging active participation of civil society in the process, including a forum on being "heard by CERD" at our annual New Zealand Diversity Forum in August 2012. Joris de Bres Race Relations Commissioner New Zealand Human Rights Commission 3