NZ's human rights scorecard shows who is most likely to suffer violations

The latest Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) Country Report tracks New Zealand's performance against human rights in international law. Photo / Alex Burton

The Chief Human Rights commissioner Paul Hunt has urged the Government to improve outcomes for Māori, disabled people, LGBTQIA+ and low-income earners after a new report shows they are experiencing higher levels of rights violations.

New data from the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) country report for New Zealand marks the country's performance against every human right in international law, including in education, health and food.

It measures countries by what is possible at its level of income, while also comparing it to similar countries.

New Zealand scored 85.3 per cent on the right to education (which fell into HRMI's "bad" category), 82.5 per cent on the right to food (bad) and 73.7 per cent on the right to work (very bad).

On the right to health, Aotearoa's score was 92.3 per cent (fair).

The report's findings show tangata whenua were considered most at risk of having their rights violated in key areas, including education and health, and were most likely to experience arbitrary arrest.

Hunt said the Government had, through Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a requirement to guarantee that the rights of tangata whenua were protected.

"Yet this report shows us the Government is consistently falling short of this promise."

He said there had been some important progress in supporting the ability of tangata whenua to practice tino rangatiratanga through co-governance arrangements and the establishment of the Māori Health Authority.

He expected to see the benefits of these moves in future country reports.

Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt. Photo / Supplied

Disability Rights commissioner Paula Tesoriero also said the report underscored the urgency for disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori to be fully included in New Zealand's pandemic "build-back" efforts.

The report asked human rights experts to choose from a list which people they considered were particularly at risk of having a specific right violated.

People with disabilities were among the most at risk of having a number of rights violated, including the right to work, which they were considered the most at risk (58 per cent).

"As a population group, disabled people are not doing as well as we ought to be doing, and that's something I don't think we talk about enough," Tesoriero said.

She said the most common complaints received were about discrimination on the grounds of race or disability, and were most typically in employment or education.

Race Relations commissioner Meng Foon said the report underlined inequities that remained in the education sector. New Zealand scored 85.3 per cent on the right to education, which is considered "bad".

"Everyone has the right to education and an inclusive, more holistic approach will ensure greater levels of engagement."