Human rights

Human rights

It is the duty of every country to promote and protect the human rights and freedom of its people regardless of the country's political, social, economic or cultural system. Some countries have human rights written into their constitutions and are part of the law of that country.

United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is about protecting the basic rights of human beings around the world. This site has a definition of human rights, news on current issues, reports, databases and publications etc.

• To find information on human rights, select the What are human rights? tab and choose Human rights overview.

• The tab Countries will tell you the kind of work, stories, issues and reports on the work carried out in targeted countries.

• From here, you can also search for a specific country eg New Zealand.

• Treaty Bodies, under Instruments & mechanisms, has links to ten human rights bodies and the treaties they monitor.

United Nations

Founded in 1945, the United Nations (UN) is currently made up of 193 Member States. Their main purpose is to maintain international peace and security, protect human rights, deliver humanitarian aid, promote sustainable development and uphold international law.

• The About us tab has a link to the History of the UN which includes the decision to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• To view the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, select Our Work, then Documents.

• Next, look under Founding documents for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About the UN link on the website. That will tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.

Global Issues (Gale In Context)

This is part of the EPIC databases, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together, especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

• Go to the tab Browse Issues at the top of the page then look for Human Rights.

• You can also enter the keywords 'human rights' into the search box.

World History (Gale In Context)

This is another EPIC database that we recommend for the topic of human rights.

• Select the Browse Topics tab and choose Human Rights Movements.

• Or, enter the keywords 'human rights' into the search box.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6 pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Youth for Human Rights

Established in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is about teaching youth about human rights so that they can become advocates for tolerance and peace.

• Use the tab Human Rights from the top of the page to get an introduction to the 30 Human Rights that everyone is entitled to.

• Use the tab Videos to view documentaries on human rights.

Tips: A lot of non-profit organisations have .org in the address. Check the About us link on the website to read about their purpose and values.

Human rights in New Zealand

The following sites have information about human rights in New Zealand including how they are shown in the law.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission

The Human Rights Commission was set up in 1977 in New Zealand. The organisation is funded by the Ministry of Justice but operates independently as a Crown Entity.

• Go to Human Rights in Aotearoa then select Type of rights.

• Select an option to read about the human rights work that happens in New Zealand.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Govt.nz

This site from the New Zealand Government makes it easier for people to find and use government information and services online. It has information about human rights in New Zealand.

• Search for 'human rights'.

• Go to Human rights and freedoms.

• Find links to Human Rights Act 1993 and New Zealand legislation, and our country's international obligation to apply human rights laws.

New Zealand Legislation

This site is owned by the New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office | Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata. You will find official versions of Acts, Bills, Legislative Instruments, Supplementary Order Papers etc.

• Enter the keywords Human Rights Act 1993 to find the original version of this act.

• Select the tab Versions and amendments to check on changes or additions to documents and the time they were made.

Tips: We like sites that are from government or other reputable organisations, because we can trust the information. You can sometimes tell these sites by their web address – they might have .govt or .edu in their address – or by looking at their About or Contact pages.

Mana Mokopuna - Children and Young People's Commission

This is the official site of the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC). Their focus is on making sure New Zealand is a place where children can develop and grow. They have information about children's rights in New Zealand.

• Go to the tab Ngā Māotika | Rights to find out about the rights of young people.

• Choose Oranga Ngākau | Wellbeing for links to information about wellbeing and children in New Zealand including child poverty.

Advocacy organisations

There are many organisations that promote and support human rights in different ways. Most of these organisations operate in New Zealand and overseas.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is a not-for-profit organisation. Its vision is for every person in the world to enjoy all the human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• Explore the links Who we are to know more about this organisation.

• Or, go to Latest News from the top of the page to read blogs and reports on what they have achieved.

UNICEF New Zealand

UNICEF believes that wonder, happiness and learning is the fundamental human right of every child. They work in 194 countries to protect children so that they can reach their full potential.

• Enter the keywords 'Human Rights' to find information about this topic including this page on Child rights.

Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. Usually it’s better to leave out small words like ‘the’, ‘a’ and ‘of’ and just choose the main ones, eg human rights. We can always change our keywords or add more if we need to.

World Vision

World Vision is about putting the needs and rights of children first. They do this through community development, humanitarian and emergency relief, and education.

• Find out about the work they do by selecting the What we do tab.

Books

There are many books about human rights. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Some recommended titles are:

• Human rights for all by Jilly Hunt

• Human Rights by Alice Harman

• Stand up for human rights by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora

• Free?: stories about human rights by Amnesty International

SCIS no: 1887013