Conclusions The events at Ihumātao present a challenge for human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand. In responding to the events, our public and private institutions should uphold the rights of Māori to their land, their culture and cultural heritage, their rights to participation and access to justice under the Te Tiriti, the Declaration and international human rights treaties to which New Zealand is a party. The Commission is encouraged that the Government has signalled a willingness to address the human rights impacts on Māori of colonisation. In particular the Commission notes the recent acknowledgment before the UN by the Minister of Justice that the impacts of colonisation continue to be felt today, through entrenched structural racism and poorer outcomes for Māori.100 The Commission also notes the commitment the Government has made to developing a national plan to align law, policy and practice with the Declaration.101 These are important steps towards achieving equitable human rights outcomes for Māori and indeed all New Zealanders. The Commission recommends that the Government commit to supporting the parties at Ihumātao to work towards a solution through promoting a human rightsbased approach to the resolution of the dispute in a manner consistent with New Zealand’s international human rights commitments under the Declaration. The Commission recommends that this approach should contain the following elements: 1. Protection of mana whenua rights and a continuation of the current halt on development of the land while work towards a resolution is carried out. While the Ihumātao dispute remains unresolved, the Commission recommends that the Government ensures that the rights of mana whenua under the Declaration are protected and upheld. As such, any developments of the Puketāpapa site should continue to be subject to the halt announced by the Prime Minister until a resolution is freely and fairly reached between all parties. 22