As an associate member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Te Runanga-a-Iwi o Ngati Kahu urge all our whanau, marae, churches me nga roopu katoa to sign and support the petition calling on the New Zealand government to ratify the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
New Zealand was one of only four member countries of the UN who refused to ratify the DRIP when it was put to the vote in 2007. The other three countries were Canada, the United States of America and Australia.
Canada has since ratified it, and Australia is about to, but New Zealand remains obdurate. Extraordinary behaviour for a government that describes itself as a "firm and principled defender of human rights" and is currently portraying itself as a "credible and committed" candidate for election to the UN Human Rights Council.
It is time for this government to walk its talk and ratify the Declaration. You can do your part by either signing the petition personally - a copy is attached below, or registering your organisation's support online at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/declreg.htm
Nga manaaki.
