5. New Zealand continues to actively engage in these processes. There has, however, been
an absence of a coordinated system that includes all levels of government and
representatives of civil society (including Rangatira) to monitor and report on the
implementation of the UPRviii and/or treaty body recommendations on a systematic and
ongoing basis.
6. The Commission recommends that the Government establish a comprehensive UPR
and Treaty body reporting process, linked to the Government’s own planning
process and periodic development of National Plans of Action for Human Rights,
that includes engagement with civil society, greater integration across public
agencies, and clearer accountability for coordinating and publicising reports and
following up on their recommendations.
7. Attached as Annex 5 is a table setting out the Commission’s assessment of the steps
New Zealand has taken to implement the 64 recommendations from its first UPR.
C.
Achievements, best practice and challenges
8. New Zealand generally has high levels of human rights realisation. Since New Zealand’s
first UPR there have been a number of human rights related initiatives and achievements,
including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(UNDRIP);
ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography;
the recent passage of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013 ;
evidence of improvements in education for all ethnic groups in some key
indicators;
the establishment of a Ministerial Committee on Poverty to support New
Zealanders from all backgrounds to move out of long-term poverty.ix
recognition of the importance of addressing inequalities. The Better Public
Services programme sets high-level targets for the delivery of value-for-money
public services. These targets are underpinned by Action Plans in each key result
area. The adoption of specific policy targets that include some recognition of the
need to reduce inequalities in education, health and employment is a welcome
step towards accountability for outcomes by government. Considerable
innovation will still be required, however, if targets are going to be reached;
significant progress in settling historic breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. Since
2009, 19 Bills have been passed by Parliament giving effect to Treaty
settlements.x As Māori and the Crown continue to make progress with Treaty
settlements, innovative forms of redress have emerged. These have related to
things such as recognition of mana and recognition of cultural taonga; and
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