Government moves on UN Rights Declaration

Māori Development Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta announced today the Government will develop a plan of action to drive and measure Aotearoa New Zealand’s progress towards the aspirations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“This Government is committed to leadership and building closer partnerships with Māori. The Declaration plan will identify specific actions that can make real progress on the aspirations of Māori as the tangata whenua of Aotearoa,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

Minister Mahuta said that although many Government actions on Māori development and wellbeing are consistent with the aspirations of the Declaration, there is still more that we could and should do.

“We are often seen as leaders in indigenous rights, and a Declaration plan will show how the rubber is hitting the road by bringing greater transparency to the story that we tell about our progress.”

The Declaration plan will be developed across 2019 and through engagement with Māori in the second half of the year.

As a first step, the Minister will work with her Cabinet colleagues to appoint a technical working group to help provide advice about what this partnership process should look like.

“Today’s announcement reinforces our commitment to embed the partnership with Māori within the work we are leading. This is a significant step towards building and strengthening relationships between the Crown and Māori,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

Editor’s Note: Aotearoa New Zealand announced its support of the Declaration in 2010.

Kua huri te Kāwanatanga ki Te Whakapuakinga Motika o te Kotahitanga o te Ao

Kua puta te kōrero a Minita Whanaketanga Māori te Hōnore Nanaia Mahuta ka whakawhanake mahere mahi te Kāwanatanga hei whakakipakipa, hei ine hoki i te tutukinga a Aotearoa i ngā wawata o te Whakapuakinga Motika o te Kotahitanga o te Ao mō ngā Motika o ngā Iwi Taketake.

“Ko tā tēnei Kāwanatanga mahi he tātaki, he whiriwhiri hoki i te taura tangata ki te iwi Māori kia mārō tonu.  Mā te mahere Whakapuakinga e tohu ngā tūmomo mahi e nuku whakamua tūturu ai ngā wawata o te iwi Māori hei tangata whenua o Aotearoa,” te kī a Nanaia Mahuta.

Ko tā te Minita ahakoa e hāngai ana te nuinga o ngā mahi a te Kāwanatanga ki te whanaketanga me te oranga o te iwi Māori ki ngā wawata o te Whakapuakinga, arā noa atu ngā mahi e taea ai, e tika ana hoki kia mahia.

“Ko tā te titiro o te ao he kaitātaki mātou mō ngā motika o ngā iwi taketake, ā, mā tētahi mahere Whakapuakinga e kite ai te hua o ngā mahi nā te mārama rawa o ngā kōrero ka puta mō te whakatutukinga o ngā mahi.”

Mā roto i te tau 2019 e whakawhanake te mahere Whakapuakinga mā te wānanga tahi ki te iwi Māori hei te wāhanga tuarua o te tau.

Hei wāhi i ngā mahi ka mahi tahi te Minita me ōna hoa o te Rūnanga ki te whakatū rōpū mahi hei whakatakoto tohutohu mō te āhua o tēnei tukanga mahi tahi.

“Nā te pāhotanga atu i te rangi nei kua kaha ake tā mātou ūpoko pakaru kia whiriwhiria te taura ki te iwi Māori kia mārō tonu i roto i ngā mahi e whakahaeretia ana e mātou. Mā hea mai ki te mahi whakatipu, whakapakari i ngā hononga i waenga i te Karauna me te iwi Māori,“ te kī a Nanaia Mahuta.