International Treaties
Having joined the United Nations in 1945, New Zealand has since ratified key human rights treaties such as ICERD, ICCPR, CEDAW and UNCR.
In 2009 New Zealand was seeking a position on the United Nations Human Rights Council. The bid was withdrawn in March of that year to allow a clear path for the United States to win the seat, after US President Barack Obama reversed his country's previous position that the council had lost its credibility. Then New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully stated "We believe that US membership of the council will strengthen it and make it more effective... By any objective measure, membership of the council by the US is more likely to create positive changes more quickly than we could have hoped to achieve them."
In May 2009, for the first time New Zealand prepared a national Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. During this peer review process many countries praised New Zealand's human rights record and identified that the perception of New Zealand as a comparatively fair and equal society is crucial to its international reputation. Areas where the nation was directed to make improvements include disparities experienced by Māori as demonstrated by key social and economic indicators and the extent of family violence and violence against women and children.
| Treaty | Signed | Ratified |
|---|---|---|
| Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination | 25 Oct 1966 | 22 Nov 1972 |
| International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | 12 Nov 1968 | 28 Dec 1978 |
| CEDAW | 17 Jul 1980 | 10 Jan 1985 |
| Convention on the Rights of the Child | 1 Oct 1990 | 6 Apr 1993 |
Read more about this topic: Human Rights In New Zealand
Famous quotes containing the word treaties:
“When people say women can’t be trusted because they cycle every month, my response is that men cycle every day, so they should only be allowed to negotiate peace treaties in the evening.”
—June Reinisch (b. 1943)