Media Release
2 February 2004

Welcome for International Race Relations Commissioners

Race Relations Commissioners from around the World begin their meeting in Auckland today with a traditional welcome by Ngati Whatua at Orakei Marae at 5:30pm.

The Commissioners are here to take part in the International Race Relations Round Table, which runs from today until Thursday (2-5 February).

The conference has been organised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission.

Commissioners and officials taking part in the Auckland meeting represent the following countries: Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Fiji, France, Hungary, India, Mexico, Niger, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Sweden and Uganda as well as a representative from the OHCHR.

New Zealand Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says the conference will draw on the expertise of the participants to help identify practical actions for addressing common challenges.

"The meeting will provide a rare opportunity to exchange information on race relations and consider strategies that have been successful in other countries," Mr de Bres says.

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission is currently developing the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights (NZAPHR), which when completed will incorporate a national race relations strategy. It is anticipated that this plan will be presented to the Government for implementation at the end of the year.

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