Andrew Little to lead delegation to UN Human Rights Review

Justice Minister, Andrew Little, lead a delegation to New Zealand’s third Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 21 January.

The Universal Periodic Review considers of New Zealand’s human rights records over the last five years. New Zealand was last reviewed in 2014.

“New Zealand has a proud tradition of global leadership in human rights. The Coalition Government is building on that legacy with child poverty reduction, fixing our broken criminal justice system, settling historical Treaty of Waitangi claims and forming the Crown-Māori Relations portfolio, and lifting the refugee quota to 1,500 by 2020.

“I’m looking forward to our Universal Periodic Review. It’s an opportunity to educate and share New Zealand’s efforts, and also to learn from the collective experiences of the international community,” Andrew Little said.

Established in 2006 by the United Nations, the Universal Periodic Review is a state monitoring mechanism to periodically review the protection and promotion of human rights in each of the 193 United Nations members state. The United Nations Human Rights Council will also receive submissions from non-governmental organisations.

The findings of the review are not legally binding, but are sometimes cited as persuasive in the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal.