new ways in which the public service, and public sector agencies, can engage meaningfully with community. In 2020, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019 published its multi-volume report,43 which looks far beyond the events of 15 March. One full volume is devoted to social cohesion writ large, including the role of community engagement across the public sector as a means of building social cohesion and social inclusion. The report makes numerous recommendations including “greater focus on empowering communities to participate in central and local government decision-making processes.”44 In her recent report on New Zealand, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing recommended that local and central government: In conformity with the right to adequate housing, ensure meaningful participation of all residents, including minorities and marginalized groups, in the development and implementation of all government programmes, policies and legislation related to housing, including with respect to urban development and regeneration.45 Conclusion As GPS-HUD is implemented across Aotearoa, the right to a decent home, and other human rights, requires as much public participation and democratic engagement as possible. Not only for those who are well-off, well-informed, wellorganised, and frequently navigate official systems, but also for those who are seldom heard. This includes young people, Māori, Pacific Peoples and other ethnic communities, disabled people, single parents, those living in poverty, and other disadvantaged communities. Active, informed, inclusive, meaningful, public participation is not easy. It requires creativity, patience, persistence, and a willingness to find new ways of engaging. It also requires resources for individuals and communities living under pressure. The following recommendation is designed to reinforce, and help to implement, the Government’s commitment to deepen participation across the housing system in the kāwanatanga sphere. Recommendation An independent advisory and advocacy group founded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The right to a decent home, as well as good practice, requires that housing initiatives are evidence-based. Accordingly, we recommend an advisory and advocacy group with responsibility for providing expert advice and commissioning research. The right to a decent home also entitles individuals and communities to active and informed participation on issues relating to housing, including policy making and accountability. The advisory and advocacy group would also be responsible for ensuring that voices from all segments of society are heard, especially those who are most impacted by the housing crisis. In our view this Recommendation will significantly strengthen public participation and democratic engagement across the housing system in the kāwanatanga sphere, which will partner with the tino rangatiratanga sphere. The last chapter provides further detail on how we envisage the independent advisory and advocacy group might work. 23