New Zealand Human Rights Commission welcomes Social Progress Index ranking

The Human Rights Commission has welcomed news that New Zealand has topped the global Social Progress Index (SPI) of 132 countries ranked on social and environmental performance by the Social Progress Imperative and United States NGO.

“The Social Progress Index complements GDP ratings and is itself a breakthrough in terms of global performance indicators,” said Chief Commissioner David Rutherford.

“The global financial crisis has brought home the reality that we need to look beyond purely economic ways to measure a country’s progress and wealth.”

“The commission’s summary of Human Rights in New Zealand found that while we meet and often surpass human rights in many respects some gains are fragile.”

“We continue to face serious human rights challenges in some communities,” said Mr Rutherford.

“New Zealand can still do better in a range of areas in terms of meeting the challenges of poverty, entrenched inequality and discrimination.”

“The great thing about the Social Progress Imperative is that it values things that Kiwis have always treasured, those things that can’t be bought for money, giving people a fair go.”

“The proverb ‘He aha te mea nui? He tangata, He tangata, He tangata – What is the greatest thing of all? It is people, It is people’ says it all really. New Zealanders have come a long way since the nation state was born in 1840 and we can all take pride in that progress and look forward to the future together.”

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