New Zealand due to have its human rights record reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

Suva, 24 January 2014 - On Monday 27 January, the Universal Periodic Review Working Group will examine the progress of New Zealand in protecting and promoting human rights within the framework of the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The delegation of the Government of New Zealand will be headed by the Minister of Justice, the Honorable Ms. Judith Collins.

The UPR is one of the key mechanisms of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, which provides an opportunity for each UN member State to declare what actions have been taken to improve the human rights situation in their countries and to fulfill their human rights obligations. New Zealand was reviewed under the UPR for the first time in 2009 and the second review will focus on progress made by the State in implementing the UPR recommendations since then.

The 3.5 hour long UPR Working Group session on New Zealand will commence at 09h00 in Geneva (GMT+1) on Monday 27 January, 22h00 New Zealand time (GMT +13) and can be followed live over the United Nations Human Rights Council Webcast at www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/ where it will also be archived ahead.

All documentation relevant to this second cycle of the UPR review of New Zealand, including the National Report, a compilation of UN information, a Summary of stakeholders' information, as well as questions submitted in advance, is available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/NZSession18.aspx.

For more information on the UPR please see http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx.

• OHCHR leads global human rights efforts and works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
• OHCHR is headed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, who co-ordinates human rights activities throughout the UN System and works closely with the Human Rights Council.
• OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific covers 16 countries: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. For more information on OHCHR Regional Pacific visit http://pacific.ohchr.org/

ENDS

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