Commmission welcomes intention for NZ to join Open Government Partnership

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement of New Zealand’s intention to join the Open Government Partnership.

The Commission recommended that New Zealand join the Open Government Partnership in its recent submission on the Universal Periodic Review of New Zealand’s human rights record.

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission supports New Zealand joining the Open Government Partnership given New Zealand is in many areas recognised as a world leader in transparent, responsive, accountable and effective government.

The Partnership today consists of 58 countries and nine civil society organisations throughout the world, and is “committed to the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention against Corruption and other applicable instruments related to human rights and good governance.”

New Zealand, along with many other countries participating in the Open Government Partnership helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. New Zealand’s intention to join these countries in the Partnership and embrace “principles of transparency and open government with a view toward achieving greater prosperity, well-being and human dignity in our own countries and in an increasingly interconnected world” is a further significant step in New Zealand’s journey in promoting and protecting human rights, civic participation and transparency in public activities.

The four core commitments of the Open Government Partnership are at the heart of democratic governance and respect for human dignity and rights. These are stated in the Open Government Declaration as:

Increase the availability of information about governmental activities
Support civic participation,
Implement the highest standards of professional integrity throughout our administrations,
Increase access to new technologies for openness and accountability.
It is fitting that the Government’s announcement comes at the time of the 120th anniversary of the triumph of New Zealand women who demanded the right to vote. The Commission believes New Zealand’s future commitment to the Open Government Partnership will provide an important further basis for the strengthening of our already high levels of human rights realisation in New Zealand.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell:
On What John Banks And Nick Smith Have In Common

The defence that John Banks has been offering to the charges of electoral fraud – that he didn’t read the document he signed, and therefore lacked the necessary criminal intent – is a fairly standard example of political business as usual.

At a time when political power is being centralised downtown in the Executive, responsibility is being re-located to the suburbs. The Beehive seeks to operate as a blame free, shame free environment. At all times, plausible deniability is to be maintained.

Being able to put distance between the Minister and the actions/outcomes/political fallout of policy is not simply the last desperate resort of scoundrels, but the first resort of the foot soldiers in ministerial service... More>>