Human rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights ...
remains one of the highest expressions of the human conscience of our time
- Pope John Paul II, 1995

New Zealand and many of our neighbours are signatories to a number of international human rights conventions and convenants. Protecting human rights requires us to monitor and respond to breaches of human rights in our region and at home in New Zealand.

We have a focus on human rights issues in our region, particularly in East Timor and West Papua.  Domestically Caritas monitors the formal UN processes for consideration of New Zealand’s human rights compliance, and has a focus on criminal justice and reconciliation.

• Caritas brochure for the 60^th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, 2008
• Caritas submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights in New Zealand, 2008
• Caritas submission on the draft report of the Universal Periodic Review, 2009

Sri Lanka – support for Bishop of Mannar

Caritas supports the stand of Bishop Rayappu Joseph of Mannar (northern Sri Lanka) and 30 priests in appealing to the United Nations Human Rights Council about human rights concerns in the south-east Asian nation. Bishop Joseph and his priests asked the Council to call on the Sri Lankan Government to implement recommendations of its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee, set up to look at the Sri Lankan Civil War that ended in 2009.

Read Caritas message of solidarity and support.

Read more about the Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples’ campaign in support of Bishop Joseph and his priests.

Caritas' advocacy work on human rights includes:

• Criminal justice and reconciliation
• HIV and AIDS
• The Holy Land
• West Papua