September 19, 2016
Indigenous declaration compliance needs action
Indigenous declaration compliance needs action
The president of the Maori Women’s Welfare League, Prue Kapua, says New Zealand needs to make the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples part of its legislative and constitutional framework.
Canada, which along with New Zealand, Australia and the United States voted against the declaration in 2007, is now enthusiastically adopting it under the leadership of new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Ms Kapua, who is a human rights and treaty lawyer, says New Zealand’s current endorsement isn’t enough.
"We’re sitting in a position where people think our Waitangi Tribunal process and the consultation that we have under some of our legislation means that are are actually compliant with the Declaration and we're not," she says.
Prue Kapua says New Zealand needs to start measuring and reporting on whether legislation and government practices are compliant with the declaration.
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