A United Nations committee has warned that Māori rights were under serious threat as systemic disparities for Aotearoa's Indigenous population may worsen in what was the global body's most scathing review of Aotearoa-New Zealand's record on racial equality.

The report by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's raised alarm bells over a range of government policies affecting the first peoples living inside of the sovereign realm that includes points of the disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority, budget cuts to Māori services, and moves to minimise the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in education and governance.

The committee noted some policies "may seriously risk weakening the legal, institutional and policy framework for the implementation" of the UN's racial discrimination convention.

The report released on Friday came after an eight-year review of the New Zealand's implementation of the UN's International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination - the principal international human rights instrument, which defines and prohibits racial discrimination in all sectors of private and public life.

It follows a report from the Aotearoa Centre for Indigenous Peoples, based on the Law of Te Wai Ariki Māori ancestors, which outlined a series of Te Tiriti (treaty) breaches made by the country's conservative coalition government since coming to power just over two years ago.

'Strongest critique of New Zealand the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has ever issued'

The Treaty of Waitangi was New Zealand's founding document first signed between the British Crown and Maori chiefs back in 1840.

The government which was formed from the National, ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First parties last year announced the controversial shutting down of the Māori Health Authority that wound back Indigenous policies of several past governments on both sides of politics.

The Māori Health Authority, or Te Aka Whai Ora, was established only in 2022 by the previous Labour government to improve health outcomes of Māori, which make up one in six people in the nation but lagged well behind the broader population.

Prominent Māori leader Lady Tureiti Moxon, who had presented a complaint to the committee in Geneva, described the review as "unprecedented in both its length and its language" in a statement.

"The committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is clear: New Zealand is moving backwards on racial equality, and Māori rights are under serious threat," she said.

"This is the strongest critique of New Zealand that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has ever issued.

"Unlike a 2017 review, which acknowledged progress, this report finds virtually no positive steps on Māori rights or racial equity".

The report noted persistent disparities for Māori across education, housing, health, and political representation.

The committee expressed concern about the misrepresentation of affirmative action as "racial privilege" and that it is "at odds with universal human rights", noting that Māori political expression in the parliament is "disproportionately scrutinised and sanctioned".

Treaty under attack

Outspoken Maori MPs protested in November 2024 over a controversial bill that wanted to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi that has stood uncontested for 185 years.

Three of the Maori representatives received unprecedented record suspensions from parliament after performing a cultural haka on the chamber floor.

The UN committee said law changes which were cited could potentially curtail the statutory protections of Maori land rights, while treaty clauses being removed from legislation could "risk entrenching historical, structural, and systemic discrimination against Māori".

The committee also drew attention to environmental and land issues, stating that only a small portion of Māori land, resources, and territories have been returned, with proposed remedies limited to little more than symbolic gestures.

It urged the Aotearoa government to improve settlement processes, ensure meaningful engagement, and to respect Māori rights to self-determination and control over traditional lands.

Environmental degradation and climate change were also identified as distinct threats to Māori health, livelihoods, and cultural identity, as recommendations from the committee included to strengthen protections for their land, waterways, coastal areas, and native plants and animals.

Government bid to restrict land rights

The government had recently looked to pass legislation to exclude Māori tribes from Traditional coastal claims on title rights.

The committee also expressed concern about proposals under the Oranga Tamariki - Responding Serious Youth Offending - Amendment Bill, including the military-style 'boot camps', noting their risks of harm to young Māori people.

It urged holistic, human-rights-based approaches that prioritised rehabilitation and community-led support, while stressing the importance of restoring the practical commitment to the principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitang that will ensure Māori children remain connected to their cultural identity.

The overall review criticised the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora and cuts to several ministries, warning that these weaken institutional capacity and risk systemic discrimination.

The committee also recommended revitalising the Maori Health Authority or establishing similar bodies to address the health disparities.

Other issues listed in the review included threats to the independence of the nation's Human Rights Commission and proposed removal of Māori wards, both of which the report said could undermine the protections for human rights and political participation.

The report also highlighted ongoing hate speech and far-right extremism, noting most racially motivated crimes fail to reflect hate motivation in sentencing, calling for far stronger legislation, better data collection, and enhanced public awareness.

'Urgent obligations under international law'

Lady Tureiti Moxon summarised the UN report as a stark warning that the current government must act immediately to protect Māori whanau, tamariki, and the nation's "collective future".

"Upholding Te Tiriti, reversing harmful youth justice proposals, protecting our institutional frameworks, and condemning hate speech are not optional - they are urgent obligations under international law," she said.

The committee urged New Zealand to implement its recommendations fully, including adherence to the UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the revitalisation of the Treaty of Waitangi framework and to strengthen measures to counter racism and discrimination.