Submission on the situation of tamariki Māori to the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

In March 2021, the Centre made a submission on the situation of tamariki Māori to the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) to contribute to its Study on the Rights of the Indigenous Child under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Centre focussed its submission on the involvement of tamariki Māori in New Zealand’s care and protection system to explore the extent to which Indigenous children’s rights, and their communities’ right to determine the best ways to realise them, are protected in Aotearoa. We also highlighted for the EMRIP other key areas where the rights of tamariki Māori as guaranteed under te Tiriti of Waitangi, the Indigenous Declaration and the Convention on the Rights of the Child are also neglected and require greater prioritisation and action. Key information provided in our submission was included in the EMRIP’s study.