Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu Land Claims Portfolio
Report for March 2019
1. National Iwi Chairs Forum – visit of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 8 to 13 April
2. Waitangi Tribunal - judicial review
Summary
• The Monitoring Mechanism of National Iwi Chairs Forum will co-host the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Auckland and Wellington from 8 to 13 April.
• We are waiting for the decision of the High Court on our application to judicially review the Waitangi Tribunal for not making binding recommendations. We do not expect to hear for a few months.
1. National Iwi Chairs Forum – visit of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 8 to 13 April
Three members of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (whose meetings we attend in Geneva each year) will visit us for a week in April to help us with a National Plan of Action to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The members who are coming are Laila Vars (Sami), Edtami Mansayagan (Philippines), and Megan Davis (Australia). The Independent Monitoring Mechanism (of National Iwi Chairs Forum) and the Human Rights Commission will host them. We have been working with Nanaia Mahuta as Minister of Māori Affairs on this and the government agreed to the visit and will also meet with the Expert Mechanism.
The pōwhiri on Monday 8 April will take place at Waipapa Marae at the University of Auckland. We will brief our visitors and hold initial discussions with them. On Tuesday they will be at Hōne Waititi marae in West Auckland to hear from the Māori community. On Wednesday they fly to Wellington and meet with Nanaia and other government ministers and government departments. On Friday they will be at Pipitea marae in Wellington to hear from the Māori community. On Saturday they will wrap up their visit.
Several members of the Monitoring Mechanism will accompany the Expert Mechanism for the week. We will make recommendations to them on what needs to be included in the National Plan of Action, especially in relation to Māori self-determination, constitutional transformation, our lands, territories and resources and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will be talking to them about Te Tiriti Partnership Framework that the government has agreed to. They will write up a report with their recommendations on how to progress the implementation of the Declaration.
Professor Margaret Mutu
25 March 2019