Human Rights Commission Media Release

2 August, 2007

UN body examines New Zealand race relations record

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres has told a UN body scrutinising New Zealand's race relations that the damage done to families, women and children, particularly in Maori communities by domestic violence is unsustainable.

Mr de Bres was addressing the 71st session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) at the Palais Wilson in Geneva today.

He said, "The Government has expressed its commitment to address the issues and introduced a wide range of programmes and strategies, but the Commission would welcome the Committee highlighting the urgent priority of achieving significant progress in this area."

"Everyone in New Zealand needs to take ownership of this situation," he said. Along with domestic violence, Mr de Bres said New Zealand's high rate of imprisonment, particularly of young people, is also unacceptable.

He singled out three areas of interest for the Human Rights Commission in the months ahead: the completion of a review of the Police Act, the introduction of a new Immigration Act and the launch of a new school curriculum.

In submissions to Government the Commission has indicated the significant opportunities for strengthening the human rights and race relations framework by emphasising: * specific references to respect for human rights in the principles proposed to be included in a new Police Act; * references to international treaty obligations in the Immigration Act; and * inclusion of human rights, diversity and the Treaty of Waitangi as fundamental principles in the school curriculum, along with appropriate recognition and prominence for Maori language as an official language of New Zealand.

"We appear to be getting a reasonable hearing from the Government on these issues, and I am certainly confident at this stage that the issues raised about the education curriculum will be addressed when the final document is released," he said.

For Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres' statement to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, click here

ENDS

© Scoop Media