Newsletter

“How This Coalition Of Cowards Dismiss International Law to Mask Their Assault on Māori” - 12 December 2025

"The UN is a Joke”

Ivor Jones The Māori Green Ltn

12 Dec 2025 — 19 min read

The United Nations has delivered its harshest condemnation of New Zealand’s treatment of Māori in modern history. The coalition government’s response? Mockery, deflection, and racist dog-whistling that exposes their contempt for international human rights law and Indigenous sovereignty.

Lady Tureiti Moxon presents her human rights complaint to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva

On December 5, 2025, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) published a devastating 14-page report warning that New Zealand faces “significant dangers” in undermining Māori rights and deepening inequalities for its Indigenous population. This represents the longest and most critical review of New Zealand that CERD has ever issued. Unlike the 2017 review, which acknowledged some progress, this report finds virtually no positive steps on Māori rights or racial equity.

The coalition government’s response reveals everything you need to know about their character, their agenda, and their contempt for accountability.

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour—the architect of the failed Treaty Principles Bill and a man whose Māori ancestry he weaponises to attack Māori rights—declared the UN findings “absolutely laughable” and called the United Nations “a joke”.

He sneered:

“Let’s be realistic, this is an organisation that puts people from Zimbabwe in charge of the environment, people from Middle Eastern countries who have no regard for women’s rights go on the human rights council.”

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour dismisses UN criticism, calling the organisation “a joke”

NZ First Minister Shane Jones piled on during Question Time, calling the UN working group a “pettifogging committee” consisting of members from countries “with far worse race relations problems than New Zealand”.

Even Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith, who affected a more diplomatic tone, fundamentally disagreed with the UN’s conclusions, claiming the government has been “working very hard to improve outcomes for Māori.”

This is gaslighting of the highest order. And it needs to be called out for exactly what it is:

a desperate attempt by guilty men to avoid accountability for systematic human rights abuses.

The Complaint: When Domestic Channels Fail, International Law Steps In

The UN review was triggered by a formal complaint filed by Lady Tureiti Moxon, a prominent Māori health leader who told the UN she felt she had “no choice” but to take the issue overseas after not being listened to in New Zealand.

Moxon’s 42-page complaint detailed alleged breaches by the National-led coalition government, including the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), the removal of Te Tiriti references from the Oranga Tamariki Act, and the Treaty Principles Bill. Presenting to the UN Committee in Geneva, Moxon stated:

“Since late 2023, the coalition government has escalated discrimination against Māori, spread misinformation, and overridden constitutional norms.”

Moxon was joined by Tina Ngata, presenting on behalf of the National Iwi Chairs Forum Pou Tikanga and the People’s Action Plan Against Racism, who told CERD that racism against Māori has escalated under the coalition government. The Iwi Chairs Forum was one of around twelve organisations who submitted shadow reports to the committee.

This represents a critical juncture:

Moxon sought CERD to invoke its Early Warning and Urgent Action procedure, something CERD has only issued once before for New Zealand—in March 2005, concerning the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.

The Early Warning procedure is reserved for extreme acts of racism by a government, indicating “a persistent, targeted pattern of racism by elected officials and the government, over an extended period of time, that requires urgent intervention in order to avert racialised harm.”

The CERD Report: Unprecedented in Length and Language

The disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) represents the systematic dismantling of institutional protections for Māori

The UN CERD report is devastating in its scope and specificity. Lady Tureiti Moxon described it as “unprecedented in both its length and its language”, stating:

“CERD is unequivocal: New Zealand is regressing racial equality and Māori rights in significant jeopardy.”

The report raised alarm over sweeping government reforms including:

Health System Dismantling:

The disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora and significant budget reductions affecting the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, and Te Puni Kōkiri. CERD warned these weaken New Zealand’s institutional framework and risk systemic discrimination, recommending revitalising the Māori Health Authority or establishing similar bodies composed of Māori and Pacific health experts to reduce health disparities.

Oranga Tamariki Section 7AA Repeal:

CERD highlighted the risk that repealing Section 7AA exposes Māori children to abuse, neglect, and further alienation from Māori structures, cultural identity, and whakapapa. The committee believed Section 7AA should be restored to enable a “whānau-first” placement approach.

Military-Style Boot Camps:

CERD expressed concern over proposals under the Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Amendment Bill, especially the introduction of military-style “boot camps” for young people, citing documented risks of harm and abuse. The committee urged holistic, human-rights-based, community-focused approaches that prioritise rehabilitation, support, and addressing the root causes of youth offending.

Treaty of Waitangi Assault:

CERD expressed concern that recent initiatives to reinterpret the Treaty and its established principles have been made without ensuring free, prior, and informed consent or meaningful engagement of Māori. The committee warned that the government’s initiative to eliminate treaty clauses from legislation could “entrench historical, structural and systemic discrimination against Māori.”

Māori Land Rights and Environmental Threats:

The committee expressed serious concern about Māori land rights, noting that to date, only a small fraction of land, resources, and territories have been returned, with redress often limited to symbolic measures. CERD noted that environmental degradation and climate change pose additional threats to Māori health, livelihoods, and cultural identity, urging measures to address disproportionate impacts on Māori.

Political Participation Under Attack:

The report warned that the removal of Māori wards and certain legislative proposals may undermine the political rights of Māori and Pacific peoples. CERD noted that Māori political representation in parliament is “disproportionately scrutinised and penalised”, adding that recent legislative changes could “significantly limit statutory protections for Māori land rights.”

Hate Speech and Far-Right Extremism:

The report noted that far-right extremism and white supremacism remain significant national security threats, yet these groups have often been able to promote racial discrimination with limited accountability. CERD urged New Zealand to bring legislation fully in line with Article 4 of the Convention, declaring illegal and prohibiting far-right extremist, white supremacist, and other racist organisations and propaganda.

Misrepresentation of Affirmative Action:

The committee expressed alarm over the distortion of affirmative action aimed at tackling structural discrimination, which has been labelled “racial privilege” and deemed “inconsistent with universal human rights” by certain political and public figures.

This last point is critical. CERD is calling out exactly what many of us have been documenting:

this government has taken the language of racism and anti-racism, flipped it on its head, inverted it, and then weaponised it against the very groups it is intended to protect.

Five Hidden Connections the Government Doesn’t Want You to See

Connection 1: The Coordinated Assault on Treaty Obligations

The coalition government’s attacks on Te Tiriti are not isolated policy decisions—they represent a coordinated assault across multiple fronts. The coalition agreements upon which the current government is based contain multiple contraventions of ICERD obligations and CERD recommendations, resulting in multiple, successive and enduring racialised human rights violations. This includes the Treaty Principles Bill, the Regulatory Standards Bill (which passed its third reading on November 12, 2025), the Treaty Clause Review, and the removal of Te Tiriti obligations from the Education and Training Act.

Connection 2: David Seymour’s Pattern of Attacking International Oversight

Seymour’s dismissal of the UN is not new. In July 2025, Seymour wrote a letter to UN Special Rapporteur Albert K. Barume calling his concerns about the Treaty Principles Bill “presumptive, condescending, and wholly misplaced.” Seymour eventually withdrew the letter after being rebuked by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters. However, Luxon called Barume’s letter a “load of bunkum” and a “waste of time,” making clear the coalition’s united contempt for UN oversight.

Connection 3: The Tobacco Industry-Treaty Assault Nexus

The same ministers dismissing UN human rights concerns have demonstrated similar contempt for transparency in other areas. Casey Costello, the NZ First minister who called the UN working group “pettifogging” through Jones, has been formally rebuked by the Chief Ombudsman for withholding information in breach of the Official Information Act. Shane Jones admitted he “took soundings” from tobacco lobbyist Apirana Dawson for NZ First’s tobacco policy, while Costello repeatedly denied any involvement with the tobacco industry. The pattern? Corporate capture, denial, and hostility to oversight—whether from the Ombudsman or the UN.

Connection 4: The Atlas Network and Global Anti-Indigenous Agendas

David Seymour’s connections to the Atlas Network—a global network of libertarian think tanks—provide ideological scaffolding for his assault on collective Indigenous rights. During the third reading debate of the Regulatory Standards Bill, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi directly called out these connections: “David Seymour you’d better run and tell your mates in the Atlas Network that we’re going to burn capitalism to the ground because socialism is about honouring and upholding the dignity of all people.” These networks promote deregulation, privatisation, and the erasure of Indigenous collective rights in favour of individual property rights—precisely what Seymour’s legislative agenda advances.

Connection 5: The Weaponisation of “Equity” vs “Equality” Language

The coalition government consistently deploys the language of “equality before the law” to dismantle equity-based policies designed to address historical and ongoing discrimination. Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill sought to redefine tino rangatiratanga as mere property rights and replace partnership with “equality.” The Regulatory Standards Bill explicitly excludes Māori worldviews and tikanga, while claiming to promote “equality before the law.” CERD explicitly condemned this inversion, noting the misrepresentation of affirmative action as “racial privilege.” This is racial gaslighting codified into law.

Cui Bono? Who Benefits From Dismissing International Law?

When ministers attack the UN, they’re not defending New Zealand’s sovereignty—they’re defending their ability to violate human rights without consequences.

Who benefits from dismissing the UN?

Politicians who want to dismantle Te Tiriti obligations without international scrutiny
Corporate interests who view Indigenous rights and environmental protections as barriers to profit
Far-right networks who promote white supremacist ideology under the guise of “equality”
A coalition government whose entire agenda depends on normalising racism as “colourblind” policy

Cui Malo? Who is harmed?

Māori whānau losing access to culturally appropriate healthcare
Māori tamariki removed from whānau and alienated from whakapapa
Rangatahi subjected to boot camps that evidence shows cause harm
Māori communities facing environmental degradation with diminished consultation rights
All New Zealanders, who lose the international accountability mechanisms that protect human rights

The Intellectual Dishonesty of Seymour’s Attack

Let’s examine Seymour’s smear of the UN. He claims the organisation is “a joke” because it puts “people from Zimbabwe in charge of the environment” and “people from Middle Eastern countries who have no regard for women’s rights” on the human rights council.

This is a racist dog-whistle wrapped in a logical fallacy.

First, the ad hominem fallacy:

attacking the messenger rather than addressing the message. The composition of other UN bodies is irrelevant to whether CERD’s findings on New Zealand’s treatment of Māori are accurate.

Second, the tu quoque fallacy (”you too”):

suggesting that because other countries have problems, New Zealand cannot be criticised. This is the logic of a child caught stealing who protests that other kids steal too.

Third, the racist othering:

Seymour specifically invokes Zimbabwe and “Middle Eastern countries”—coded language designed to trigger xenophobic assumptions that people from these regions are less qualified or legitimate than Westerners. Never mind that CERD is composed of 18 independent experts from diverse backgrounds serving in their personal capacity, not as state representatives.

Fourth, Seymour claimed he is “pretty much” closed off to the idea of an external party reviewing New Zealand’s race relations because “New Zealand has a really great record on race relations.” This is circular reasoning: We don’t need oversight because we’re doing great, and we know we’re doing great because we say so.

The reality? New Zealand signed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1966 and ratified it in 1972. We voluntarily committed to periodic review by CERD. This is not external interference—it’s accountability we agreed to.

Tina Ngata put it perfectly:

“Commenting on the human rights issues of member states is precisely what human rights rapporteurs are there to do. This is exactly how the international rule of law is upheld, through international agreements between states that are monitored by committees and rapporteurs.”

The Constitutional Crisis: When Parliament Becomes Unchecked

The CERD report points to a fundamental problem in New Zealand’s constitutional architecture:

there is no effective check on Parliament’s power to pass racially discriminatory legislation.

As Te Wai Ariki’s Professor Claire Charters explained:

“New Zealand is an absolute outlier, and that we can’t check our Parliament or make sure or overturn racially discriminatory laws.”

Most liberal democracies have constitutional protections—like the US Bill of Rights—where courts can overturn laws that violate fundamental rights. New Zealand has no such protection.

The Waitangi Tribunal can make recommendations, but the Crown is not obliged to implement them. The Human Rights Commission can advocate, but CERD noted serious threats to its independence, including calls by politicians to dismantle it, reduced resources, and lack of an explicit mandate to monitor human rights violations.

This is why international oversight matters. Without it, a government with a parliamentary majority can systematically dismantle Indigenous rights with impunity—exactly what this coalition is doing.

The Path Forward: From Resistance to Accountability

CERD has requested the New Zealand government provide updates on “specific measures undertaken” to address its recommendations, particularly concerning environmental safeguards, the over-representation of Māori within the justice system, and the reinforcement of Māori land rights.

The government will be forced to respond. These findings, while not legally binding, carry significant diplomatic weight. New Zealand’s international reputation—once built on progressive human rights stances—has been shredded.

The 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index saw New Zealand plummet from 2nd in 2023 to 53rd in 2025—”the most dramatic fall of any country in the history of the report.” The Global Alliance for Tobacco Control presented New Zealand with a “Dirty Ashtray” award, reserved for governments that weaken strong policy or adopt measures favouring tobacco industry interests.

Now CERD has delivered the harshest condemnation of New Zealand’s racial discrimination record in modern history.

The government’s response? Mock the messenger. Attack international institutions. Gaslight the public about their “great record on race relations.”

But the evidence is clear:

Māori health outcomes are worsening
Māori children are being alienated from whānau and whakapapa
Māori land rights remain unresolved and under threat
Māori political participation is being systematically undermined
Te Tiriti protections are being stripped from legislation
Hate speech and far-right extremism are escalating unchecked

Lady Tureiti Moxon’s call is unequivocal:

“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.”

The Ring of Truth Burns Through Lies

When David Seymour calls the UN “a joke,” he reveals exactly what he fears: accountability.

When Shane Jones dismisses the CERD committee as “pettifogging,” he exposes his contempt for the meticulous documentation of his government’s abuses.

When Paul Goldsmith claims the government is “working very hard to improve outcomes for Māori” while systematically dismantling every institutional protection Māori have, he demonstrates that gaslighting is now official government policy.

The taiaha wielded by Te Māori Green Lantern—empowered by the Ring of verified research and mātauranga Māori—cuts through their lies. The UN CERD report is a 14-page indictment. It names names. It documents harms. It exposes the coalition’s assault on Māori as what it is: systematic racial discrimination in violation of international law.

This government cannot hide behind “sovereignty” when they voluntarily signed the Convention. They cannot claim “external interference” when they agreed to periodic review. They cannot dismiss expert findings as “laughable” when those experts are acting precisely within their mandate.

The coalition’s attack on the UN is not about defending New Zealand. It’s about defending their ability to violate Māori rights without consequences.

But consequences are coming. CERD will continue its review process. The government must respond formally. Civil society will continue to document abuses. Māori will continue to resist—in the courts, at the Waitangi Tribunal, in our wānanga, through our hīkoi, and on the international stage.

As Tina Ngata told RNZ:

“The combination of our wānanga, the combination of our occupation, the combination of our hīkoi and our international work—together that creates this pressure for governments to either change how they are or to step to the side.”

The UN is not a joke. The coalition government’s treatment of Māori is not a joke. And the international community is watching.

Kia mau ki te tika. Hold fast to what is right.

Only Support this mahi if you are able: Koha.Kiwi | Substack | Bank: HTDM 03-1546-0415173-000
All koha sustains free mātauranga Māori journalism. No paywall, no corporate interference.

Ivor Jones The Māori Green Lantern Fighting Misinformation And Disinformation From The Far Right

https://www.nzherald.co.nz

"He Kore Tikanga: The Coalition of Betrayal" - 23 March 2026

"Hypocrisy of the Highest Order: The National Government's EV Charger Con" - 23 March 2026

"How Winston Peters Wraps Corporate Plunder in the Language of Liberation — and Has Been Doing It for Forty Years" - 23 March 2026

"THE SULU AND THE SWORD: How Christopher Luxon Wore Our Pacific Family's Dignity Like a Costume While His Budget Burned Their Villages to the Waterline" - 23 March 2026