The Human Rights Foundation promotes and defends human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad, through research-based education and advocacy.
Torture is a crime under international law. New Zealand has signed (a) the UN convention against torture and (b) formal agreements about how armed conflict should be conducted. That’s the legal backdrop to the fascinating report released this week by the SIS Inspector-General. The report investigates the role of New Zealand’s security services in the CIA’s illegal
OPINION: There’s an iconic black and white photo of the 1980 Māori Language protest march to parliament, taken just as the marchers turn into Willis St from Mercer St. It’s been raining and marchers are wearing coats and jackets, a few clutch umbrellas and others hold banners. One woman is walking with her arms crossed as she
Our spies fed questions to the Central Intelligence Agency which were put to someone taken in the illegal rendition and torture programme operated by the United States’ agency, a new inquiry has found. At the time the questions were posed, the NZ Security Intelligence Service “was not aware that detainee interrogations involved torture”, according to
A priest who challenged the views of his Catholic peers, founded Youthline and hosted talkback radio has died. Felix Donnelly was 89 and died last week. Death notices in newspapers described the academic and social worker as a loved brother and “treasured uncle”. Donnelly backed the 1980s Homosexual Law Reform Bill, citing concerns about young people who committed suicide
Politicians have been told New Zealand’s “racist” refugee policy must change towards Middle Eastern and African people. The current policy brought in by National a decade ago means refugees from those areas are only allowed to resettle here if they already have family living in the country. World Vision presented a petition to the Education and Workforce
Climate change poses enormous human rights challenges in the Pacific and within Aotearoa New Zealand. It places responsibilities on governments and every one of us. While climate change is on the agenda of Pacific leaders in Tuvalu this week, they should ensure the link between climate change, human rights and responsibilities is explicit. Rising temperatures,
The UN has asked the Government to stop the development of Ihumātao. Until then, NZ is in breach of its international human rights responsibilties. Friday was the UN-designated international day of Indigenous Peoples. However, there is no cause for celebration on Ihumātao. In March this year, the leading UN human rights watchdogs on Indigenous peoples’ rights and housing
A new ruling on the ban on prisoner voting delivers a fierce reminder of the need for urgent change. Now it’s over to the government: put up or shut up, writes Andrew Geddis. In some ways, it tells us nothing we didn’t already know: the legislative ban on prisoners voting enacted in 2010 by National
Police have again increased their presence at Ihumātao, dividing those who have occupied the land in peaceful protest from their frontline. According to sources on the ground, police began forming rank around homes and separated the groups from each other, preventing people and supplies from passing. Local resident and beneficiary of Makaurau Marae, Haki Wilson says the police
On Thursday the Privacy Commissioner delivered a damning report into how the Ministry Of Social Development (MSD) investigates benefit fraud. MSD was found to have intruded into the privacy of hundreds of beneficiaries by collecting sensitive information from telcos each year – even in cases where no fraud was established. The ministry accepted the findings
