Human Rights Commission
Media release
Embargo till 6am March 11, 2009.

Economic recession most challenging race relations issue

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says the deepening economic recession will be the most challenging issue for race relations in the coming year.

Speaking at the launch of the Race Relations Report 2008, Mr de Bres says progress threatens to be halted and even reversed for Māori and Pacific peoples, in terms of employment, standard of living and other social conditions. “Achieving racial equality remains one of the most important foundation stones for enduring positive race relations.”

The Human Rights Commission’s fifth annual review of race relations in New Zealand, Tūi Tūi Tuituiā: Race Relations in 2008, was released this morning at the Manurewa Marae, Auckland. The report also highlights progress in migrant settlement, language, discrimination, religious diversity, and media.

Another key issue for the coming year is the question of safety, given the increase in perceived discrimination against Asian people, and the reported incidents of racially motivated crime. “The New Zealand Police need to continue their efforts to be responsive to ethnic communities and to develop effective relationships with them,” Mr de Bres says.

The conviction of a man for the murder of Korean backpacker Jae Hyeon Kim was a sobering reminder that there are a small number of people in New Zealand who are driven by racial hatred to commit serious assaults on innocent people. It is heartening that the police are strongly committed to bringing such people to justice. The words of Rev Taeil Choi at Jae Hyeon Kim’s funeral in Nelson in November are a call to us all: "For the sake of Jae Hyeon Kim, we should all commit ourselves to making…our country…a place where people are welcomed, and a place where all cultures and all people are tolerated equally."

Click here to download a copy of the Race Relations Report.

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Background Notes

Tūi Tūi Tuituiā: Race Relations in 2008 is the fifth annual record of race relations developments in New Zealand, incorporating community action on diversity, discrimination, the Treaty of Waitangi, human rights, migration and settlement, language, media, and religious diversity.

New Zealand Diversity Forum
The annual New Zealand Diversity Forum will be held in Wellington in August, and will include a focus on Asian communities in New Zealand. It will provide an opportunity to take stock after two decades of increased migration from the Asian region.

Race Relations Day, March 21
The theme for Race Relations Day 2009 is “People in your neighbourhood”, which offers an opportunity to celebrate diversity, promote intercultural awareness and communication, and foster inclusion and safety for everyone in the local community.
Details of Race Relations Day events and copies of the poster can be found on our website on the Race Relations Day 2009 page.

ENDS

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