NZ Seeks Election To UN Human Rights Body

Human Rights Commission welcomes decision for New Zealand to seek election to the United Nations Commission on Human rights

The Human Rights Commission today welcomed the announcement that New Zealand is to seek election to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Chief Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan said that New Zealand is widely respected internationally for its longstanding contribution to international human rights, and many individual New Zealanders as well as Government representatives have been engaged in human rights initiatives.

Having a New Zealand member on the Commission will also give greater prominence within New Zealand to the importance of international conventions and agreements on human rights.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is sponsoring next week's International Race Relations Commissioners Round Table in Auckland, and New Zealand will also be represented by both the Government and the Commission at next month's Asia Pacific Forum annual meeting on human rights in Kathmandu.

Ms Noonan also commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the recent publication of its New Zealand Handbook on International Human Rights.

"This is an excellent resource and demonstrates New Zealand's commitment to raising awareness about the wide range of conventions that exist to protect economic, social, political and cultural rights and what New Zealand is doing to comply with them".

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