Encouraging community action The Commission facilitated two workshops to build better understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and to promote the UNDRIP. More than 95 percent of participants said that they had achieved what they wanted from the workshop. Almost 75 percent said that the workshops increased their understanding of human rights, the Treaty of Waitangi and the UNDRIP, and more than 75 percent said the workshop was valuable and that it would influence their policies and practice. Impact The Commission’s contributions over this period have included: • The co-hosting of a side event by Government, the Commission and indigenous peoples’ organisations represented a significant step in the ongoing discussions with Government and the Monitoring Mechanism about working together to develop a national action plan for the UNDRIP. The EMRIP members expressed strong interest in this work, and subsequently visited New Zealand under their country engagement mandate. EMRIP members are positive about the progress of this work in New Zealand, noting that the cooperative approach and work towards a national action plan for the UNDRIP represent good practice and are leading developments in this area internationally. • The visit by EMRIP members in April 2019 was the third-ever country visit undertaken under the EMRIP’s new, enhanced mandate. The week-long visit included meetings with Mäori leaders, academics, national organisations, community groups and government agencies. The EMRIP delegation commended the organisation of the visit and appreciated the diverse range of people they were able to meet during the week. The resulting Advisory Note offers practical advice to assist with ongoing work to develop a national action plan. • In partnership with the Independent Monitoring Mechanism for UNDRIP, the Commission held four thematic workshops with iwi groups in Wellington, Kaitaia, Napier and Gisborne. The workshops provided information about UNDRIP and international indigenous rights’ forums and heard participants’ views and experiences on indigenous rights. • Members of the indigenous rights team were seconded to the Ministry of Justice to support the work of the Independent Panel reviewing the 2014 Family Court reforms. The engagement provided a human rights perspective to the process with a focus on Mäori whanau and tamariki, and kaupapa Mäori. The HRC presence enabled an accessible, safe and open process for participants. 24 Human Rights Commission