UN set to criticise NZ on race and rights

New Zealand will probably be criticised by the United Nations on race relations issues and human rights breaches, UN special investigator Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen said today.

Prof Stavenhagen, UN human rights and race relations expert, has been visiting the country from November 16 to 25 at the invitation of the Government and has attended four hui, among other meetings, to listen and report on the status of human rights for Maori as an indigenous people.

He said there was widespread concern that the gap in social and economic conditions of Maori was growing larger and an increasing proportion of Maori were being left behind.

However, Prof Stavenhagen said Maori living standards in general had improved and were more satisfactory than that of indigenous peoples in poorer countries.

He presents his final report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in April. His recommendations are not binding on New Zealand.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Michael Cullen said earlier that the Government would listen to what Prof Stavenhagen had to say on the Foreshore and Seabed Act but would only act on recommendations consistent with government policy.

Prof Stavenhagen had a debriefing with Dr Cullen yesterday, and dialogue with various government department and Maori communities to obtain information on human rights issues relating to Treaty of Waitangi settlements, the Foreshore and Seabed Act, and economic, social and cultural rights in general.

He said the Foreshore and Seabed Act was particularly troubling to Maori because of the view that it would extinguish the customary rights of Maori communities that had traditionally used coastal resources for subsistence.

"There is no violence and no apartheid laws or practices here," Prof Stavenhagen said.

"However, there is no level playing field and Maori are relegated to a junior partner position."

He expressed concern that too many Maori were in jail pointing to a possible discrimination in the justice system.

Prof Stavenhagen said Maori had benefited in the past few decades by participating in the economic development of the country.

However, despite positive developments, there were still disparities between Maori and Pakeha in health, housing, income, education and social services, Prof Stavenhagen said.

National Party Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee said New Zealanders did not need to be told by the UN what it meant to be a Kiwi.

"Fair-minded Kiwis will reject these statements outright, because they know them to be untrue."

Mr Brownlee said Prof Stavenhagen had been in the country for only nine days.

"So, how can he possibly assume to have thoroughly examined 160 years of New Zealand history?"

He said Prof Stavenhagen's statement was full of unsubstantiated assertions and loaded language.

- NZPA