New Zealand: Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa Newsletter 67

This CHILD RIGHTS E-News 67 tells you about:

  • Repeal S 59 update
  • ACYA Workshop
  • Baker boy- Truck boy
  • Citizenship (amendment )Act
  • Select committee Reports awaited
  • Innocenti report- is it that bad?
  • Pacific Islands HR study

REPEAL OF S59 UPDATE-BAN CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

The following extract appears on our Website Home Page:

"ACYA is delighted that the amending draft legislation received  A CLEAR MANDATE TO PROCEED THROUGH THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL TO THE THIRD STAGE."

This is a great encouragement for those who see children as recognised citizens, not subject to discrimination of violence by law.  Remember 16 countries have banned corporal punishment".

ACYA WORKSHOP

To be held in Auckland on Saturday 3 March 2007. Four places available.
Details at: http://www.acya.org.nz/?t=22

BAKER BOY TRUCK BOY

There is no minimum age for employment, and for those under 16 years no minimum wage. There are safety Regulations.

In a TV news item under 15 year old family members were shown working in a bakery. It is illegal to employ children to work between 10pm and 6am except in accordance with an approved Code of Practice. It is illegal to employ children under 15 years of age at or with any machinery.

Reported in a Sunday newspaper a 12 year old was killed working on a rubbish truck. At the time a 14 and 16 year old were also with the truck.

There are health and safety requirements for young workers but they do not meet the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in many respects. They do not cover under-18s who work as contractors rather than as employees (many young people who do delivery work or work as outworkers in the garment industry are contractors). The Health and Safety Regulations 1995 do not cover 16 and 17 year olds (and in some cases 15 year olds). New Zealand entered a reservation to UNCROC in 1993 absolving it from meeting the requirements in respect of young workers in UNCROC. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 1997 and 2003 urged NZ to withdraw this reservation and to tighten its laws relating to employment of under-18 but the government has never done so.

Employers and employees should know the laws in respect of child employment
LINK:  www.ers.govt.nz

CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT

From an Official Information Act enquiry we learned that of the 873 births to non NZ residents in 2006, only in three cases has the nationality of the baby not been resolved within one month. We were concerned that there could be long delays in deciding that such children might indeed be NZ children and left stateless, as matters were being resolved. We will make further enquiries early in 2008.

SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS AWAITED

ACYA has made the following submissions that are still before a Select committee and by convention cannot yet be published:

  • Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill
  • Corrections (Mothers and Babies) Bill
  • Minimum Wage & Remuneration Bill
  • Wills Bill

On the Website we have posted dates the reports are due.

INNOCENTI REPORT - IS IT THAT BAD

UNICEF INNOCENTI Report Card 7 issued 14 February paints a gloomy picture.  The various tables, some of which do not feature NZ, try to portray an overview of a Rich Country analysis on how well children are faring. Some statistics are a couple of years old. The Government has introduces a number of programmes aimed at assisting the well being of children.  The report will need careful scrutiny. We expect the Government and child advocacy groups to give the report careful consideration and provide solutions.  
LINK:  http://www.unicef-icdc.org/presscentre/indexNewsroom.sql

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION- Pacific Island study

The Human Rights Commission is preparing a study on Human Rights in the Pacific.  From a press release: "While there is a broad infrastructure for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Pacific, the region faces significant human rights issues", Commissioner Joy Liddicoat said.  These include:

  • freedom from discrimination,
  • protection and equal treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS,
  • violence against women and children,
  • the right to health,
  • environmental degradation and associated climate change concerns,
  • the rights of those detained,
  • incidents related to tribal or land disputes."

ACYA may comment on issues concerning children in Tokelau.  For media and other inquiries: Gilbert Wong, Human Rights Commission, Ph (09) 306 2660. Submission close SOON

Country: 

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.