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Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
If you come across a term that isn't included in the Glossary please send us an email.
[1] HRI/CORENZL/2006.
[2] Human Rights Council Resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007 and the General Guidelines for the Preparation of information under the Universal Periodic Review (as contained in document A/HRC/6/L/24).
[3] Please note that people can choose to identify with more than one ethnic group in New Zealand, so the figures do not add up to 100%.
[4] For more information on New Zealand’s position in relation to human rights instruments see New Zealand Handbook on International Human Rights, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, May 2008 and New Zealand’s Core Document (HRI/CORE/NZL/2006) of 26 October 2006.
[5] A/HRC/WG.6/5/NZL/2 incorrectly states that New Zealand signed the ICRMW in 2007.
[6] A copy of New Zealand’s Explanation of Vote of 13 September 2007, which sets out why New Zealand did not support the adoption of the DRIP, is available on this website.
[7] New Zealand is also party to three other key instruments proscribing slavery including the International Convention for the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade (1926); the Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926, with Annex (1953); and the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery (1956).
[8] This section draws on the Rt. Hon. Sir Kenneth Keith’s, “On the Constitution of New Zealand: An Introduction of the Foundations of the Current Form of Government”, (1990, updated 2008) in The Cabinet Manual and New M. S. R. Palmer’s, “What is New Zealand’s constitution and who interprets it? Constitutional realism and the importance of public office-holders”, (2006) 17 Public Law Review 133.
[9] The Parliamentary Library Research Paper, Final Results for the 2008 New Zealand General Election, 2009.
[10] The Cook Islands acceded to CEDAW in its own right on 11 August 2006 and it subsequently submitted its Initial Report on CEDAW in September 2006. The Government met with the CEDAW Committee in August 2007. The outcomes of the dialogue with the CEDAW Committee have been developed into a National Action Plan by the Gender and Development Division. It is envisaged that the plan will be implemented from 2008-2011 with the assistance of donor partners such as UNDP and NZAID. The Plan recommends legislative and policy changes. Prior to its meeting with the Committee, the Cook Islands withdrew all of its reservations to CEDAW on 30 July 2007. The Cook Islands also acceded to the CEDAW Optional Protocol and to the amendment to article 20 paragraph 1 of CEDAW on 27 November 2007 and withdrew all of its reservations to CEDAW. The Cook Islands has just completed its Initial Report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and will soon submit this to the CRC Committee in Geneva within the next month. The Cook Islands has withdrawn its reservation to article 37 of the CRC on 25 March 2009.
[11] Please refer to the following website: www.nzlii.org.
[12] For more information on the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, visit their website.
[13] Statistics New Zealand, QuickStats About Maori, 27 March 2007.
[14] The Social Report 2008, Ministry of Social Development, 2008.
[15] The Global Gender Gap Report 2008, produced by the World Economic Forum, ranks New Zealand in 5th place in the world – up two places from our ranking in 2006. The Human Rights Development Report’s Gender-related Development Index and Gender Empowerment Measure for 2007/08 rank New Zealand 18th and 11th respectively.
[16] Indicators for Change: Tracking progress of New Zealand women, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, October 2008. A copy of this report can be found at Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ website.
[17] New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation 2008, NZHRC.
[18] Indicators for Change: Tracking progress of New Zealand women, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, October 2008.
[19] New Zealand Income Survey, June 2008, based on median hourly earnings.
[20] Focusing on Women 2005. Wellington, Statistics New Zealand 2005.
[21] New Zealand Income Survey June 2008, based on median hourly earnings.
[22] The Social Report 2008, Ministry of Social Development, 2008.
[23] Positive Ageing Indicators 2007, Ministry of Social Development, August 2007.
[24] M. Fletcher and M. Dwyer, A Fair Go for all Children, Actions to address child poverty in New Zealand, August 2008.
[25] The Social Report 2008, Ministry of Social Development, 2008.
[26] Human Rights in New Zealand Today: Summary Report, New Zealand Human Rights Commission, 2004.
[27] Tui Tui Tuituia: Race Relations in 2008, New Zealand Human Rights Commission.
