Important human rights principles are enshrined in New Zealand’s
constitutional arrangements or legislation, including:
1
Treaty of Waitangi 1840
2
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
3
Human Rights Act 1993.
Moreover, as a member of the United Nations, New Zealand supports the
human rights provisions of the United Nations Charter and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights 1948.
New Zealand is also a party to or supports a number of international
human rights instruments, including the:
1
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
2
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR)
3
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination (CERD)
4
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW)
5
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
6
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
7
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
8
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(UNDRIP).
New Zealand’s core international human rights law obligations are set out
in these instruments. These legal obligations require that the State respect,
protect and fulfil the human rights of individuals within New Zealand.
This includes the duty to protect against human rights abuse by third
parties, including business enterprises. These instruments also impose
obligations on New Zealand to regularly report on their implementation.
The Commission also has functions to facilitate the resolution of
disputes, involving unlawful discrimination in the most efficient,
informal, and cost-effective manner possible. The Commission has
no adjudicative or judicial function. Those functions are carried out
by the Human Rights Tribunal and the courts.
10
Human Rights Commission