Report praises N.Z.’s human rights record

Press, 16 February 1984, Page 3

Report praises N.Z.’s human rights record

NZPA staff correspondent Washington The United States State Department says that in New Zealand last year “there appears to have been greater attention given to rights of women and minorities, including Maoris and Pacific Islanders.”

The State Department is required to report to Congress every year on the observance of human rights throughout the world because this can be allied to aid support.

The latest report gives New Zealand, once again, a clean bill of health on human rights. “New Zealand has an exemplary record in the human rights field and continues efforts to improve and broaden respect for such rights,” says the report.

“Personal freedom, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, universal suffrage, the rule of law, respect for minority rights, concern for the economically deprived, free trade union affiliation, and humane treatment of prisoners remain deeply ingrained principles of New Zealand society and are fundamental, unquestioned tenets of its governance.

“Its government is a multi-party Parliamentary democracy in both theory and practice and its economy is based on free market enterprise.” During 1983, the report says, there were no major incidents in New Zealand which might have influenced “its already excellent record” on human rights.