United Nations to review the state of NZ racism

A New Zealand collective will today present to the United Nations in Geneva, drawing attention to the existence, prevalence and entrenchment of institutional racism targeting Māori in Aotearoa.

The collective of non-governmental civil society organisations will submit a comprehensive health-related shadow report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The report details 20 specific concerns, alongside recommended actions, in an effort to challenge the presence and normalisation of institutional racism within the health sector.

“The New Zealand government has enabled institutional racism to thrive within Aotearoa through action and inaction, which is in breach of New Zealand’s commitments as a signatory of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” says Dr Heather Came – Senior Lecturer in Māori Health at AUT and contributor to the shadow report. “This contributes to unacceptable systemic inequities in social outcomes.”

Among the issues raised are public health contracting and policy-making practices, the lack of data and responsive policy concerning whānau hauaa (Māori with disability), the use of seclusion in mental health, inaction in addressing intergenerational trauma, the process of establishing Māori wards in local government, and the Waitara Lands Bill proposing sale rather than return of stolen land in Taranaki.

“New Zealand needs a comprehensive plan to eliminate racism that enables us to track progress,” says Dr Came.

The CERD shadow report focusses on the nature and extent of institutional racism in the health sector in New Zealand, but acknowledges that racism occurs across all domains of the public sector.

“Viewed together, we want to see the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), constructive movement towards constitutional transformation, and pro-active engagement with the Crown’s Treaty obligations.”