ICCPR Draft Report Consultation

Overview

The New Zealand Government will shortly submit its seventh report on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Covenant) to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which monitors how signatories are implementing the Covenant.

The Covenant is the main international treaty dealing with civil and political rights. The Covenant affirms rights including life, liberty and security, and privacy; freedom of expression, association and assembly; the right to participate in public life; and rights relating to criminal procedure, such as the right to a fair trial. The Covenant is affirmed in New Zealand law by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

New Zealand ratified the Covenant in 1978. States that have ratified the Covenant have undertaken to report periodically to the Committee on how they are giving effect to these rights.

Read the Covenant on the United Nations Human Rights website

Find out about the United Nations Human Rights Committee

For the Government to report on how it is addressing these and other civil and political rights, we want to hear from organisations and the public. We invite your feedback on New Zealand’s draft Seventh Periodic Report to the Human Rights Committee on the Covenant.

What is in the report?

Read the ICCPR draft report

The Report, which covers the period 2015 to 2026, has three main functions, which are to:

• Respond to the list of issues provided by the Committee
• Describe new measures adopted by the New Zealand government to give effect to the articles of the Covenant since the last report in 2015
• Respond to requests for further information made by the Committee to New Zealand after the last report. The Committee requested further information in areas including family violence.

What will happen to the Report?

The Government will submit the Report to the Human Rights Committee.

The final Report is expected to be considered publicly by the Committee with a delegation from New Zealand present to answer questions. The review has not yet been scheduled.

What would we like to hear from you about?

We are now seeking feedback on the draft Report from everyone and particularly people and organisations with an interest in civil and political rights.

We want your feedback to ensure the report is clear and accurate, and to determine if we should include any other information relevant to civil and political rights issues.

When providing your feedback please consider the following issues:

• Does the report cover what you see as the most important issues and developments to do with civil and political rights in New Zealand since 2015? Is there anything important missing?
• Do you have feedback on specific areas of the report? If so, please give the relevant section heading and the feedback.
• What has the government done well to improve the enjoyment of civil and political rights in New Zealand since 2015?
• What are the most important areas the New Zealand Government could address to enhance civil and political rights and enable equal enjoyment of human rights?

How to give feedback

Your feedback will help to inform the Report and provide information about how the New Zealand Government is addressing civil and political rights issues.

Submissions are open from 19 February 2026 to 19 March 2026. You can make a submission by:

• completing this survey
• emailing humanrights@justice.govt.nz,
• posting your feedback to Human Rights Team, Policy Group, Ministry of Justice, SX10088, Wellington.

If you have any questions, please contact humanrights@justice.govt.nz.

Supporting information:

List of issues prior to submission of the 7th periodic report of New Zealand : Human Rights Committee

Concluding observations on the 6th periodic report of New Zealand : Human Rights Committee

Report on follow-up to the concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee : addendum 

If you have any questions, please contact humanrights@justice.govt.nz.

Privacy of data

Please note that your feedback may be subject to a request to the Ministry of Justice for information under the Official Information Act 1982. Personal details can be withheld under the Act, including your name and address. If you do not want any information you provide to be released, please indicate this clearly and explain why. For example, you may wish for some information to be kept confidential because it is sensitive personal information. The Ministry of Justice will take your views into account when responding to such official information requests by others.

The Privacy Act 2020 governs how the Ministry collects, holds, uses, and discloses personal information about you and the information you provide. You have the right to access and correct personal information.

What happens next

Following public consultation, we will update the report to reflect the feedback we received from the public before it is submitted to the Human Rights Committee.

Further information

If you have any other questions, please contact humanrights@justice.govt.nz.