Case Study: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples In 2019, two members of the Ahi Kaa team represented Aotearoa New Zealand Human Rights Commission at the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and proudly stood alongside and supported the National Iwi Chairs Forum Pou Tikanga Chair Margaret Mutu. During the session, the EMRIP released the Advisory Note it had prepared following its visit to Aotearoa New Zealand earlier in the year, cohosted by the Commission and the Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) for the Declaration. The country engagement function of the EMRIP is a new area of its mandate, with New Zealand the third country to receive a visit. At the EMRIP’s annual session in Geneva, the Aotearoa New Zealand country engagement received considerable focus and was highlighted as an example of international good practice. The Commission presented alongside the IMM, Aotearoa New Zealand Government and EMRIP members as part of a panel discussion and in a side event, and shared experiences of the EMRIP country visit. Kaiwhakarite Hēmi Pirihi presents as part of a panel discussion at the annual EMRIP session. The Advisory Note released during the annual EMRIP session provided valuable guidance for the development of a national action plan for New Zealand’s implementation of the Declaration and reflected on the input the Commission had made. process for a plan. The Commission supported this work alongside Te Puni Kōkiri by providing secretariat support to the working group as it prepared its report to the Minister between August and November 2019. As part of the Government’s work to progress the Declaration Plan, the Minister for Māori Development appointed a technical working group to provide advice on the form, content and The Commission continued to work with, and provide support to, the IMM’s monitoring and reporting of progress to implement the Declaration in Aotearoa. 19