Human Rights Issues in New Zealand: Racial Discrimination and Health Inequalities

This essay discusses the prevalent human rights issues in New Zealand, including racial discrimination and health inequalities. It highlights the advocacy actions taken by the country and provides recommendations to address the challenges.

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Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Introduction
Today's world accepts the concept that every person has the right to, and has the authority to live
a dignified life. It is a prevalent occurrence which human beings everywhere require. This
includes the recognition of their personal and collective wellbeing in various ways (Lewis et al.
2017, p. 381). However, in many nations around the globe, such rights or freedoms are rejected
by exploitation, repression, repression, etc. Human rights received global attention in the wake of
the Second World War, which killed millions.
The notion of human rights today involves, especially concerning growth, the climate,
and self-determination, civil and political rights or government freedom, financial, social and
cultural demands. It is the duty of the country, as stated, to safeguard and encourage human
liberties. The country also should develop circumstances for a peaceful life that permit every
person in this state to enjoy human rights (Kelsey 2015,p. 12). However, given that, there is a
growing danger of violations of human rights arising from several of the country operations. The
international law also ensures and encourages the implementation and compliance with human
rights, whether in its universal or regional manifestations.
Human rights in New Zealand had to be implemented throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
But New Zealand was complacent during this period about the requirement to recognize human
rights officially (Legislation.govt.nz. 2019). It seemed that it wasn't necessary because of the
limited human rights issues that existed in New Zealand. This scenario changed rapidly. Racism
has been a source of poverty, death and marginalization throughout New Zealand' s history and
was motivated by a conviction of the supremacy of the ruling class, especially among indigenous

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people. Besides, for at least 100 years in New Zealand, there have been socio-economic health
mortal inequalities.
The thesis statement of the essay argues with the two major human rights issue that is the racial
discrimination and the health inequalities, which are some of the significant human rights issues
that still prevails in New Zealand. The essay illustrates the advocacy actions that have been taken
by New Zealand for the targeted points followed by recommendations and conclusion summary.
Discussion
UDHR Article 1 -Free and equal
All human beings are born free and fair and should be treated the same way.
Indignity and freedoms, all men are born free and equal. They have purpose and awareness and
should behave in the sense of fraternity towards one another (Ssenyonjo 2016).
Convention of International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (ICERD)
According to WHO.int. (2019) , New Zealand has undertaken to assist the efforts taken to
uphold the statement by the OHCHR and other prestigious U.N. organizations. It took an active
part in the U.N. General Assembly and the annual U.N. Human Rights Commission (CHR)
meeting. The rights of females, kids and native individuals have been supported in New Zealand.
The U.N. system has been a powerful multilateral focus in New Zealand's human rights strategy
always (Houkamau, Stronge & Sibley 2017,p. 61). However, in terms of ethnic discrimination
in the nation, the disparities and difficulties remain. New Zealand may well be one of the most
tolerated states in the world, owing to its multicultural history and the mix of various populations

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that have migrated from every corner of the world (Tushnet 2017,p.270). Nevertheless, Māori
and Pasifika people have continuing to experience racial and structural discrimination, especially
in terms of education, justice and work. Perhaps not as brutal as the 1960s Alabama, but under a
high furnace of civilization, it denigrates people who are distinct from Pākehā population, no
matter how insignificant discriminations these may be. New Zealand, the country is as racial as
South America.
The figure below illustrates the scenario of racial discrimination that is prevalent in the country.
Source: Devere (2016,p.267)

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Another essential human right challenge in the country of New Zealand is the right to health.
The human rights and an awareness of existence with dignity are based mainly on the right to
health. The right to enjoy physical and psychiatric wellness at the most significant possible level
is not new. The International Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), which
describes health as a "country of full physical, mental and social welfare and not just the lack of
illness or infirmity," was first expressed in 1946 (Houkamau, Stronge & Sibley 2017,p.61). In
the whole preamble, it also stated that "Each individual, regardless of races, religions, political
beliefs, financial or cultural conditions, is accorded one of the most basic freedoms to the
greatest achievable level in health."
Article25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations of 1948 states:
“Everyone shall have the right to a living standard that is adequate for his or her health and well
being and for the goods of the family, including food, clothing, housing, healthcare services, and
the necessary social services” (WHO.int. 2019). The nation, New Zealand, has also approved this
intending to promise to restore equality of health among all citizens. Nevertheless, New Zealand
has not been prosperous in restoring efficient public health equity as per the records.
The international health risk factor is a significant socio-economic situation (SEP). A recent
meta-analysis of 48 cohort studies conducted over New Zealand current situation has shown SEP
to be the third major risk factor for early death. Researches have projected that a 2.1-year
decrease in life expectancy between 40 and 85 years is associated with a low level of the socio-
economic situation, SEP (Chin et al. 2018,p.841).
In New Zealand, the actual difference in life expectancy was reported to be 6.5 years for men
and 4.7 years for women in 2010 between high and low-income groups. Gradients for revenue

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were steepest, but for small areas of poverty and schooling, they are also moderately on the more
upper side. In New Zealand, there are even more racial inequalities in health, which are denoted
for lengthy periods. For example, there was a difference between Māorivs and Non-Māori in the
year 2011 of 7.56 years for men and 7.2 for women (McGregor and Wilson 2015, p. 24).
Health disparities can be noted across the globe between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.
According to Govt.nz. (2019) Indigenous knowledge involves individuals who define themselves
and are acknowledged as native by their communities. They have powerful connections to
regions and the adjacent natural assets and have separate cultural, financial or political structures
and show a historical connection with pre-colonial cultures. For many decades, improvement of
the health was an illusory goal. Throughout the era, the disparities and the challenges did not
decrease by the gap among the socio-economic class widened (Mintrom and Luetjens 2016,
p.400.).
The leading cause of health inequalities in New Zealand are inequalities in the allocation and
access to material assets, namely revenue, schooling, jobs and accommodation. Significant
health and racial discrimination followed by socio-economic factors differ the access to
healthcare facilities and variations in care for the community people. There lies no minimum
limit of discrimination in the context of health among the minority community of New Zealand.
According to the report and the data collected, the status of the health of non-community people
are much better than the people belonging from the community in New Zealand
(Newzealandnow.govt.nz. 2019). Some of the areas where the community people of New
Zealand face discrimination and unequal treatments are cancer, respiratory, Alzheimer's diseases,
and accidents.

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The effect of ethnic identity is intertwined with cultural and financial determinants of health. Mā
ori has lower health than non-Māori at all stages of education, work and earnings. Similarly,
Pacific people are usually in the middle between Ma ̄ ori and Pa ̄ keha (Amnesty.org., 2019). The
effect on the health of the socio-economic situation is generally underestimated in New Zealand.
Existing measures, for example, can not adequately measure socio-economic status, and surveys
tend not to record the cumulative effect on the health status of adults of the socio-economic
situation in previous lives. However, it is doubtful that an unspecified socio-economic location
can fully explain variations between ethnic groups. In New Zealand, there are also significant
geographical health variations. Districts having Lower than median revenue have early mortality
and hospitalizing levels. This is to be understood that global pieces of evidence are blended and
controversial on the position of income inequality (Newzealandnow.govt.nz. 2019). In New
Zealand, a fragile relationship was identified in an ecological study on unchanged revenue and
mortality, while no connection was discovered subsequently after consideration was given to
ethnicity (WHO.int. 2019).
Addressing the challenges
Racism is the result of certain socio-historical contexts, although it also has specific
geographic characteristics as emerging evidence. This perception of racism may imply efficient
anti-racism measures to tackle evolving problems and discussion, both locally and flexibly. The
focus of much international anti-racism behaviour is to raise consciousness and understand racist
issues as well as to develop cultural skills to transform them. These measures improve the level
of understanding regarding racism and boost the capacity and capacity of respondents to provide
minority professional services (Donnelly and Whelan 2018, p. 11). The scope and destructive

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extent of organizational racism needs more than the reform of government machinery or calls for
a solution for the human rights institutions. Substantial structural shift and conversion are
necessary as influential individuals gain straight and indirectly from racism. Colonial Australia
and elsewhere are witnessing a racial fundamental change as indigenous populations assert their
independence from their former colonial leaders and redefine governance schemes. Such changes
may take the form of a revolution and collective action, brutal and/or voluntary ones (Paine et al.
2016, p. 480). As per the Bill of right, New Zealand does have the structure of the policies that
protect people from racial discrimination, but still, the inequalities do prevail.
In the context of the health care facilities, mostly the indigenous and the Ma ̄ ori community of
people gets discriminated based on their social, economic backgrounds towards receiving health
services and the right to perfect health status (WHO.int. 2019). The New Zealand Health
Strategy offers a structure for the medical industry, with an emphasis on Ma ̄ ori, the Pacific and
low-income New Zealands, to enhance health and wellness and to decrease the disparity between
many New Zealanders. A demographic health strategy is required for the successful execution of
the New Zealand Health Strategy (Harris et al. 2015, p. 117). This strategy requires into
consideration all the environmental variables and how they can be addressed to enhance wellness
and health. Figure 1 demonstrates a model with a complicated and diverse mixture of variables,
the determinants of health.

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Figure 1
Source - (Walsh and Grey 2019, p. 50)
The Treaty of Waitangi is basically the founding document of New Zealand. It was signed by
non-Māori in 1840 to establish New Zealand's fundamental rights. It creates a structure of
freedoms and duties, as well as a connection between Ma ̄ ori and the Crown. It is undeniably Mā
ori's interest not to be harmed in any form of personal or financial welfare, and that was
established to safeguard Ma ̄ ori's rights (Lee, Duck &Sibley 2017, p. 14). Therefore, it is suitable
that measures are made within the context of the Waitangi Treaty to decrease health inequalities
in New Zealand.
The objective is to decrease disparities and thus to provide New Zealand with excellent health
and possibilities. The following measurements are required to succeed in achieving, among other
results:

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• An equitable community, in which everyone has a healthy chance of living
• An integrated environment in which all feel a feeling of belonging and appreciation of
their input
• Improved health and welfare for the community as a whole, not so much for the
comparatively bad social communities (Keene et al. 2016, p. 26).
• A more excellent economy as healthier people can add to a wealthier financial and social
existence
The unequal allocation of resources-revenue, schooling, jobs and accommodation-generates
inequalities in health. It is fundamentally unfair when it perpetuates the cycle of rich and social
creation for many, but for some, it results in poor and degrading health (Tushnet 2017, p. 283).
The positive financial characteristics are the consequence of strategies that promote elevated
employment rates, safe working conditions and personal and human capital investment and
promote poor earnings and property disparities. Positive social results are the outcome of
strategies that encourage and fully engage in the culture in all social groups
Conclusion
In many elements of New Zealand culture, inequalities are recorded. The five-year census
gathers information on New Zealanders and provides comparison information between social
groups and over time. The most crucial strategy to decreasing racial and health inequalities is to
address the root cause of their own; that is, personal, cultural, financial and historical
inequalities. This needs strategies that are directly related to schooling, work, earnings and the

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economy. Actions by all sectors, federally, regionally and locally, at all stages of the structure
must be adopted. A central goal of the New Zealand’s government, which drives government
policies and results, is the reduction, among all poor communities, and especially Ma ̄ ori and the
Pacific and among males and females, regarding inequalities in schooling, jobs, homes, and
wellness.
Through out the essay discussion, it can thus be summarized that some of the specific aspect of
the New Zealand’s human rights legislation needs to be reviewed on an urgent basis. According
to the analysis and the interpretation above, there lies several gaps in the existing groups of the
discrimination that are prohibited as per the Human Rights Act of the year 1993. There lies
several flaws within the legislative system and the policies of the country that needs to be
reviewed in apriority basis to avoid health inequality and racial discrimination that is stull
prevailing in the country. Some of the recommended priorities for action includes ensuring
review of the legislative status of the social, economic and the cultural rights together with the
protection of the political and the civil rights of individuals. Furthermore, it is important for the
government of New Zealand to develop processes and tools for executive and parliamentary
branches of the government for achievement of stringer human rights framework fir the practice
of policy including development of policy, strategic planning and the legislative scrutiny.
It is to be understood that though there has been multiple of ratifications by the country and the
formation of policies targeting health and racial inequalities among community people and other
population in the country, most of the policies are not effectively implemented and practised. It
is thus the responsibility of the government and the non-governmental bodies working towards
social welfare to target the achievement of the common good; which is human rights for all.

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