5. Conclusions — Ngā whakamutunga

Where New Zealand does well — Ngā mahi pai e oti nei i Aotearoa

• New Zealand’s legislative framework and structures for protecting security of the person are for the most part sound, consistent with international human rights standards (including ICCPR, CAT, and CEDAW) and robust:
  • - a range of legislation and agencies protect New Zealand’s national security
  • - the BoRA protects the citizen’s right to life, liberty and security of person
  • - the Crimes of Torture Act 1989 specifically reflects the provision of the CAT and prohibits torture by public officials
  • - a range of legislation and agencies protects the security of citizens against infringement by other individuals, among whom the New Zealand Police is the key agency, working in partnership with other agencies, local authorities and communities.
• When the State or its agencies impinge on a citizen’s right to life, liberty or security of person a range of agencies are empowered to intervene or investigate, including the:
  • - Police Complaints Authority
  • - Office of the Ombudsmen
  • - Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
  • - Health and Disability Commission
  • - Human Rights Commission.
• State actions are also monitored internationally through the treaty bodies, and informally by non-governmental organisations
• A range of indicators show that most New Zealanders live in security and have confidence in the structures and agencies with responsibilities for protecting their security (Paulin, Searle, & Knaggs, 2003).
  • - 74 percent of respondents thought the performance of police was excellent or good
  • - rates of violent and sexual crime are lower in New Zealand than in the United State of America, England and Wales and Canada
  • - most people have little exposure to even minor violence or threats
  • - high percentages of city inhabitants felt safe in their homes and other locations during the day.

A range of initiatives and programmes are in place to address the specific areas of concern outlined below, including:

• - Te Rito, the New Zealand Family Violence Strategy, which aims to reduce all forms of family violence, including against women, children and older people
• - specific strategies developed by the New Zealand Police to improve sensitivity and responsiveness to the needs of different groups
• - an increase in funding for the Police Complaints Authority and a proposal to increase its mandate and promote confidence in its independence
• - programmes to address bullying, including a free telephone counselling service
• - the development and implementation of an elder abuse and neglect prevention programme.

Where we need to do better — Kia piki ake te pai i roto i enei wahanga

• A review in 1999 found that homicide was one of the three leading causes of death for children aged 0–14 years in New Zealand.
• Specific groups of people experience greater threats than others to their security. There is a clear link between socio-economic status and crime victimisation. The people found to be at more risk of crime included young people, Maori (especially Maori women), students, beneficiaries, and solo parents, who are predominantly women.
• Certain groups of New Zealanders rely on other people for assistance to maintain their physical safety and integrity. There is evidence that these groups (children, disabled people and older people) are vulnerable to abuse and neglect.
• There is evidence that partner abuse affects a substantial number of women in New Zealand.
• Harassment and bullying continue to affect large numbers of people in New Zealand, including children, young women and ethnic minorities.
• Some of the groups that experience greater threats to their security also expressed less confidence in the structures and agencies with responsibility for protecting their security. These groups include Maori, young people, mental health consumers, transgender people and some groups of gay people.
• Data on crime victims needs to be better disaggregated.
• New Zealanders in general tend to have an inaccurate and negative view of crime statistics, based largely on media coverage, and overestimate crime rates.
• People do not appear to have a clear sense of how they can help improve their security in ways that extend further than the purely personal level.
• The Government has been criticised for insufficient consideration of human rights norms in measures aimed at national security (e.g.,UNHRC concerns over anti-terrorism measures). There has been criticism of the Government for insufficient consideration of human rights norms in recent measures aimed at national security.

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