Our values Mana tangata – human dignity We believe in the inherent dignity, mana and rights of all people and that all people deserve respect, even if we do not agree with them. Dignity and mana are at the heart of human rights, as reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which underpins all international human rights. Māia, tika, pono – courage and integrity The benefits of our work should be equally accessible to all. We have a history and experience, including a knowledge base that gives us direction that we can use to advance what we know and believe in. Courage helps the Commission be heard on the hard and important issues. We have to stand up for peace and harmony and disarm people of prejudice and hatred. Our work will be trusted and credible, honest, effective and efficient. This is about maintaining the trust of those who need us. We are true to our mandate, as found in documents such as the Human Rights Act 1993, the Paris Principles, the Crown Entities Act 2004 and te Tiriti o Waitangi. ‘Walking our talk’ – we do internally what we are charged with promoting. 8 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION