Pasifika Access to human rights enquiries and complaints The Commission contracted a review and audit of the Commission’s Enquiries and Complaints service (ENC) with a Pasifika-specific lens. Currently ENC receives only about 30 complaints a year from Pasifika people, even though research shows they experience higher levels of discrimination than other groups. The report outlined an end-to-end user experience of the ENC service and made recommendations that the Commission will implement to improve user-friendly access for Pasifika people. Pilot independent appeals process in schools The Commission, in partnership with the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA), developed a pilot independent appeals process for students and their families who wish to appeal a student’s exclusion or expulsion from school. NZSTA has recently announced that the pilot will be rolled out in several school regions in 2019. Harmonious relations Top international award for Give Nothing to Racism The Commission’s first nationwide anti-racism campaign Give Nothing to Racism won top honours at the Asia-Pacific Communications Awards, taking out the Supreme Award for the best communications campaign by an NGO, association or institution. The awards celebrate the finest communications, public relations and public affairs work in the region. Judges evaluated hundreds of applications from across Asia and the Pacific, based upon creativity and innovation, strategy, implementation, results and impact. Historic abuse in state care The Commission has strongly advocated for an independent inquiry into the abuse of people held in state care for a number of years. The Justice for State Abuse Survivors event at Parliament was an opportunity for survivors to meet, tell stories and share experiences, and to gather strength. The presentation of the Commission’s open letter and petition for an inquiry into state abuse received extensive media coverage. The Commission contracted research into the experiences of disabled children and adults in state care. The release of Institutions are places of abuse: The experiences of disabled children and adults in State care demonstrates that the mistreatment was systemic, enduring and an everyday reality for New Zealanders with intellectual disabilities who lived in institutions and special schools. In February, a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, with Sir Anand Satyanand appointed as Chair. The Commission made a submission on the draft terms of reference Annual Report 2018 21