for the Royal Commission. Our submission called for accessibility for disabled survivors, well-resourced trauma support for survivors, removal of the 1950-1999 time limit and an inquiry framework based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Welcoming Communities Standard In December, the new Welcoming Communities Standard was launched. Nine councils across five regions are working with their communities to pilot Welcoming Communities, which puts out the welcome mat to newcomers, recent migrants, former refugees and international students. Welcoming Communities was developed in recognition that communities are healthier, happier and more productive when newcomers are welcomed and participate fully in society and in the local economy. In January a good-practice resource was also launched to support councils to develop their welcoming plan. The programme is jointly supported by MBIE, the Office of Ethnic Communities, and the Commission. Treating asylum seekers with dignity and respect The Commission released a discussion paper, Treating asylum seekers with dignity and respect – the economic, social and cultural rights of those seeking protection in New Zealand. The report sets out a series of recommendations to improve the support available for asylum claimants and refugees. The Commission spoke with a range of people who have been through New Zealand’s asylum determination system and the refugee resettlement programme and used their feedback to develop proposals on how things could be improved. Race Unity Speech Awards The Race Unity Speech Awards finals and the Race Unity Youth Conference were held in early 2018. The awards are a competition for high school students that runs alongside Race Relations Day. Each year, the Commission sets a topic for the speakers, usually tied into that year’s theme for Race Relations Day. The awards concluded two months of more than 40 events focused on Race Relations Day activities across New Zealand. The youth forum also produced a national statement that will be incorporated into the Commission’s planning for 2019 Race Relations Day activities. These events attracted significant media coverage and broadened national youth engagement around race relations issues. International students The Commission’s advocacy for international students continued in 201718. The Commission had successfully led calls for the realignment of the sector in the 2016-17 financial year to address international students’ concerns. In August last year the first International Students Wellbeing 22 Human Rights Commission