It is well known that disparities in the enjoyment of human rights remains a complex issue in New Zealand that needs to be addressed with the collaboration and cooperation of civil society. When looking at the Waitangi Tribunal's 2011 report ‘Ko Aotearoa Tenei’ the Human Rights Commission has stated that drawing on diverse cultural values and practices to inform more responsive social services that cater to the needs of different communities is a central part of addressing structural discrimination. Human Rights Commission (2012) Report, at 13. The commission has also stated that they support the recommendation made by the UN Committee Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to address structural discrimination that the Government set specific equality targets by year and closely monitor the achievement of these. Human Rights Commission (2012) Report, at 49. They go on to conclude that a failure to address the causes of New Zealand's socio-economic inequities is itself a form of structural discrimination and that the continuing gap in socio-economic indicators between ethnic groups underscores the need to tackle structural sources of inequality. Human Rights Commission (2012) Report, at 16. As such the Commission suggest that a comprehensive policy approach should take into account and seek to address both structural barriers to equality and embedded social and economic factors.
