Human Rights Commission
Media Release
24 May 2007

Commission looks for progress on Action Plan

The Human Rights Commission is hopeful that the Government will consider a strategic agenda to endorse the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights said Joris de Bres, the acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner today.

“A great deal of work and consultation went into the Action Plan and it highlights a range of human rights areas where we could do better,” he said.

The Commission was responding to the release of Amnesty International’s global human rights report which listed a concern with the Government not announcing steps to implement the Action Plan prepared by the Commission.

Mr de Bres said that there had been useful work and policy on a number of issues. He cited the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act (1951), the New Zealand Settlement Strategy and the signing of the UN Disability Convention.

“These are welcome steps and they all have an impact on the concerns raised in the Action Plan,” he said.

However he said that formal endorsement and recognition of the Action Plan would create a strategic agenda for the realisation of human rights in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights can be downloaded from www.hrc.co.nz

ENDS