75 years on from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Aotearoa has work to do

Where were you in 1948? It might seem a strange question but more than 300,000 people in Aotearoa were alive 75 years ago.

They know that history matters and that we must learn from it.

In 1948, the world had recently been through two traumatic wars. People needed hope that the world could be a place of progress, freedom, justice and equality. There was a need for more than hollow rhetoric, especially if people were going to risk their lives for these ideals. On 10 December 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It serves as a line in the sand for what we all require to live a good life, and it puts an obligation on states to protect the rights of their people.

Seventy-five years on, the rights outlined in the Declaration remain as relevant as ever. Our short film, released on Friday, tells some of the story of our beautiful country, which still has a way to go to fully uphold the rights of everyone who calls Aotearoa home.

There are still children going hungry, there are still sizable gender and ethnic pay gaps, and families are struggling to access decent housing – even though they might not realise this is a human right.

There are many other areas where people need support. People with disabilities and rainbow identities still struggle to have their basic rights realised, like the right to be safe and free from discrimination. We know that people in this country still face race and religion-based hatred and discrimination.

New Zealand must continue to both champion and protect human rights. This is where we come in.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission is one of 120 National Human Rights Institutions that work to implement the international system at home. We were created in 1977 to support the rights of people in New Zealand. We have domestic enabling legislation, the Human Rights Act 1993, as well as abiding by international norms and principles.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi also shapes our work; predating the Declaration, it’s New Zealand’s original human rights declaration, in which Tangata Whenua and the Crown committed to work together to realise rights for all people in Aotearoa.

Despite being funded by the Government we’re also required, for good reason, to be independent. Independence is a crucial element if you are carrying out rights work but one that can put us in a tricky spot when leaders don’t like what we say.

Indeed, some of the Government’s proposed changes will undermine the rights of people living in New Zealand, including the refusal to recognise the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority, the changes to tenancy laws which will make renters more vulnerable, and the repeal of the Fair Pay Act that sets minimum standards for often vulnerable workers who need fair pay the most.

In addition to our statutory obligations and the broad requirement to protect and promote human rights in Aotearoa, the Commission supports more than 5000 people every year with their queries and through our dispute resolution service.

We’re the only organisation in this country that offers free mediation to resolve disputes based on discrimination grounds. We’re also the only organisation that offers free public representation before the Human Rights Review Tribunal. We conduct inquiries into potential violations of rights, advocate for law changes and engage in strategic litigation. We run training for public and private sector organisations and provide guidelines and tools for workplaces and schools to support those places to uphold everyone’s best interests.

We work on behalf of all people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. But we cannot do it alone. On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we’re asking everyone living in this beautiful country to consider their role in making our human rights record one we can be truly proud of: call out racism where you see it, make a complaint to us if you witness discrimination, learn about our responsibilities under the Treaty, and find out how you can support human rights in your community.

A better New Zealand is within reach. Let’s go there together.

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua (I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past).

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Meg de Ronde is Tatau-Uruora (Chief Executive Kāwanatanga Leader) of Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission.