Our Work in Aotearoa
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Our Work in Aotearoa
A brighter future for tamariki
Not all tamariki get to experience the amazing things Aotearoa has to offer.
It’s a great place to grow up, but child poverty, limited access to education and healthcare, and the effects of climate change are hitting our most vulnerable children hard.
Putting kids first, is at the core of what we do at UNICEF. That’s why we’re working with community groups, businesses and schools to raise awareness about Child Rights in New Zealand.
UNICEF Aotearoa is collaborating with iwi, hapū, whānau and hapori Māori, advocating to protect our kids while providing a space for their voices to be heard.
Together, let's empower tamariki and rangatahi voices, igniting change for a better Aotearoa!
Child Rights Education
Did you know that each and every child has 42 fundamental rights?
These rights include a safe and warm home, nutritious food, quality education, and a fair justice system. They apply to every child, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or religion.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines these rights for kids aged zero to 18 years, recognising the responsibility of caregivers and communities to protect these rights.
New Zealand is a proud signatory of the Convention that has sparked some serious transformations around the globe. Governments have been motivated to revamp their laws, policies, and even invest more to ensure that kids receive proper healthcare and nutrition for their growth and survival.
Raising Awareness
We’re committed to empowering tamariki to become champions of their own rights!
Education is a key starting point, so we’ve developed a range of teaching resources and toolkits that are available via our Resource Hub.
These resources have been translated into Te Reo Māori, Samoan, and Tongan.
Over the next four years, our goal is to reach over 300,000 children, teachers, and parents, along with 500 schools, with educational resources that help rangatahi in New Zealand understand and advocate for their rights.
Making a difference
Giving every child the best start
All kids deserve a fair beginning in life.
We want to ensure all children in New Zealand have access to the support, resources, and opportunities they need to be happy and succeed.
Supporting kids in crisis
Climate change is a pressing issue affecting children everywhere.
We advocate for decision-makers to address the challenges faced by kids impacted by climate-related disasters and environmental changes.
Upholding indigenous rights
By celebrating and respecting their cultures, traditions, and identities, including honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we're creating a brighter future for indigenous communities in Aotearoa.
We’ve co-developed a strengths-based model of wellbeing for Māori in collaboration with 600 Māori that attended hui across the country.
Advocating for kids
Educating kids about their rights gives them the power to influence the issues that matter most to them.
We advocate for policies that align with child rights and give rangatahi opportunities for their voices to be heard.
World Children’s Day
Every year on the 20th of November we celebrate World Children’s Day, when the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1989. Kids around the world come together to discuss important issues like climate change, mental health and discrimination. This is tamariki taking action and using their voices to ignite change.
Last year, school students at Piopio College participated by ‘going blue’ and launching new child rights resources for schools in Aotearoa!
Young Ambassador Programme
UNICEF Aotearoa has launched a dedicated Young Ambassador programme to promote youth advocacy in New Zealand! This initiative receives support from UNICEF and will shine a light on tamariki’s voices about domestic issues related to kids in Aotearoa. The YA’s will participate in global forums and meetings with other Young Ambassadors around the world.
We include their opinions in our collaboration with the Government and their voices influence policy decisions.
Strengthening Networks
We’re building networks in schools and clubs to encourage community involvement in UNICEF projects. This allows kids to contribute to our work and make a meaningful impact through fundraising and advocacy throughout the year.
Register or join your club here.World Children’s Day
Every year on the 20th of November we celebrate World Children’s Day, when the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1989. Kids around the world come together to discuss important issues like climate change, mental health and discrimination. This is tamariki taking action and using their voices to ignite change.
Last year, school students at Piopio College participated by ‘going blue’ and launching new child rights resources for schools in Aotearoa!
Young Ambassador Programme
UNICEF Aotearoa has launched a dedicated Young Ambassador programme to promote youth advocacy in New Zealand! This initiative receives support from UNICEF and will shine a light on tamariki’s voices about domestic issues related to kids in Aotearoa. The YA’s will participate in global forums and meetings with other Young Ambassadors around the world.
We include their opinions in our collaboration with the Government and their voices influence policy decisions.
Empowering Communities
To make a real difference for tamariki in Aotearoa, we believe in the power of partnerships.
We create meaningful change together by collaborating with community groups, NGOs, businesses, and advocating to local and central government.
Here's how we put it into action:
Building Strategic Partnerships
We work with organisations in the child rights sector to strengthen our impact and achieve greater outcomes for tamariki in Aotearoa.
We support NGO’s and the community sector to make a positive difference in the lives of local kids by providing support and resources.
We’re a member of the Children’s Convention Monitoring Group that holds Government to account for implementing the Convention as well Ara Taiohi, the peak body for youth development in NZ.
Co-designing with Iwi and Pasifika
We kōrerorero with Iwi and Pasifika communities and support them in achieving fair outcomes. Through respectful and inclusive engagement, we hope to enhance the mana of these communities.
We commissioned an engagement strategy with Oranui and mapped out a unique framework that highlights what our tamariki are capable of when given the right support.
It emphasises the importance of karakia (spiritual understanding), whakawhanaungatanga (supportive relationships) and wehi (acknowledging achievement milestones).
Watch Axel, Hawaki and Te Waipuna performing the Haka 'Ka Mate':
'Ka Mate' is a haka, originally composed by Te Rauparaha, a Chief of Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
We acknowledge Ngāti Toa Rangatira as the kaitiaki of their taonga 'Ka Mate'.
Maximising Impact
We're upholding the rights of children by working at policy and systems levels.
By acknowledging the root causes of issues we’re creating a future where children's rights are embedded in laws, regulations, and practices.
UNICEF's Innocenti research centre provides us with worldwide expertise in policy development. We’ll combine our global knowledge with local experience and work with iwi to include mātauranga Māori in our advocacy efforts.
Through our policy work, we can create lasting change for generations to come and build a society where child rights are fully respected and defended!
Strengthening Research
UNICEF's global network allows us to support child rights in Aotearoa. By utilising annual Innocenti reports about the state of the world’s children, we can strengthen our local advocacy efforts!
Children in Aotearoa
We engage and assess the situation of Kiwi kids and identify priorities that guide our local advocacy work, addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by children in New Zealand. We reference reports from other child rights advocacy organisations especially where they include child or youth voice, and work with our amazing Young Ambassadors.
