Introduction
In New Zealand, there are several frameworks that set out strategies to address the barriers disabled people experience.
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) - this is a United Nations treaty that the Government ratified in 2008. The CRPD is the most comprehensive global tool that outlines the human rights of disabled people.
- New Zealand Disability Strategy – the revised Strategy was agreed late this year. The first Strategy was agreed in 2001.
- Disability Action Plan (DAP) 2014-2018– this brings together key priorities and actions that require cross-agency collaboration. The DAP provides more detailed, shorter-term planning on priority issues.
These frameworks are supported by several governance, monitoring and coordination mechanisms:
- Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues
- Chief Executives’ Group on Disability Issues
- Senior Officials’ Group on Disability Issues
- Independent Monitoring Mechanism
- DAP governance mechanism
- Joint Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) and government agency governance meetings – The Chief Executives’ Group on Disability Issues, senior officials and the DPOs meet together quarterly to oversee progress
The relationship between these mechanisms is illustrated in Appendix one.
Every year, the Minister for Disability Issues reports to Parliament on progress with implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy. In recent years, the annual report has also included reporting against progress on the implementation of the CRPD and the DAP.
This annual report has three broad sections:
- Key achievements in 2016
- Progress against the Disability Action Plan
- Looking forward to 2017 and beyond
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