This paper, prepared for Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa (ACYA - a non-government organisation), is the first in a series of Working Papers to be produced in 2007 and 2008. It will inform the ACYA report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UN Committee) in 2009. In 1993 New Zealand ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) and in doing so agreed to do everything necessary to implement the Convention. Extensive recommendations made by the UN Committee concerning what New Zealand needed to take action on to comply with UNCROC were made in 1997 and 2003. This report evaluates the progress made in legislation, policy and government practice in twenty key areas in which the UN Committee has made recommendations. It notes that the recommendation of the Committee that the repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act (1961) has been fully implemented by removing the defence of reasonable chastisement. In eleven areas it was noted some changes have been made to law, policy or practice to address the recommendations, but the recommendations have yet to be addressed or have not been fully addressed. Some of these areas include: improving co-ordination of government actions, giving children priority in the Budget and addressing child poverty, improving programmes to reduce youth suicide, improving child protection services and alternative care, and increasing opportunities for children to participate in decision-making. By November 2008 the New Zealand Government will make its third and fourth Periodic Report to the UN Committee.

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