This report outlines what has worked for children in the COVID-19 response over the last year and recommends ways to better implement children’s rights in laws, policies and practices. The report encourages the government to apply the lessons learned responding to COVID-19 to redesign the New Zealand systems to tackle the big issues facing children and young people.

Recommendations:

1. In responding to COVID-19 and all crises, expand, strengthen and embed mechanisms to understand and apply government’s responsibilities and obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Children’s Convention.
2. Recognise the legitimacy of Māori-led emergency response approaches and ensure they are supported with the funding and infrastructure required to be successful.
3. In responding to COVID-19 and all crises, explicitly consider the rights of children and young people including the rights of tamariki and rangatahi Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This includes the requirement to report on how these rights have been considered in new and amended legislation.
4. Embed accountability and compliance mechanisms in central government policy responses that prioritise the rights and views of children and young people. Mechanisms include providing designated leads for children and young people in decision making, and requirements to report on how children’s rights and tino rangatiratanga rights of tamariki Māori have been considered, included and resourced.
5. Require government agencies and initiatives such as the Policy Project to assess, evaluate and share outcomes and lessons learned from policy responses to COVID-19 with a focus on the rights of children and young people including tamariki and rangatahi Māori as tangata whenua.