New Zealand is also a party to or supports a number of international human rights instruments, including the: 1 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 2 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) 3 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) 4 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 5 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) 6 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 7 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 8 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). New Zealand’s core international human rights law obligations are set out in these instruments and obligations. They require that the State respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of individuals within New Zealand. This includes the duty to protect against human rights abuse by third parties, including business enterprises. A number of these instruments also impose obligations on New Zealand to regularly report on their implementation. The Commission also has functions to facilitate the resolution of disputes, involving unlawful discrimination in the most efficient, informal, and cost-effective manner possible. The Commission has no adjudicative or judicial function. Those functions are carried out by the Human Rights Tribunal and the courts. Governance, Strategic Leadership and Management Annual Report 2016 The Commission is governed by a Board made up of all the Commissioners, chaired by the Chief Commissioner. The Board determines the strategic direction and general nature of the Commission’s activities. In addition to their governance role, all Commissioners act as strategic leaders in areas designated by the Human Rights Act 1993 or by allocation of spheres of responsibility by the Chief Commissioner. Commissioners engage in the general activities of the Commission (excepting those set out in section 76 of the Human Rights Act 1993) as determined by the Chief Commissioner. The roles of Race Relations Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner and Disability Rights Commissioner (effective June 2016) are designated under the Human Rights Act 1993. 15

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