Tue 11 Oct 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
The United Nations is calling on the New Zealand Government to protect the rights of intersex children, issuing landmark recommendations. Representatives of the New Zealand Government being questioned at the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. New Zealand Government representatives were questioned at the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in regards to the rights and care of intersex children in September, and New Zealand's lack of legislative framework to prevent intersex genital mutilation was highlighted. Following on from this, recommendations put forward by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, urge the New Zealand Government to do the following: •Implement a child rights-based health care protocol for intersex children that guarantees the rights to bodily integrity and self-determination. •Investigate incidents of surgical and other medical treatment of intersex children without informed consent, and provide redress. •Educate professionals on biological and physical sexual diversity and consequences of unnecessary interventions on children. •Provide free access to surgical intervention and treatment related to their intersex condition for 16 to 18 year old intersex children The recommendations have been welcomed by the Human Rights Commission and Intersex Trust New Zealand. “This is a clear pathway for New Zealand and a milestone moment for intersex New Zealanders and their families,” said Mani Mitchell, Intersex Trust New Zealand’s Executive Director. “We call on Government to listen to the United Nations and act on these recommendations.” Human Rights Commissioner Richard Tankersley says “The committee’s recommendations are significant as they protect and strengthen the human rights of intersex children in New Zealand,” “Protection of the rights of intersex children in New Zealand is long overdue and these recommendations have come as a result of many years of work by intersex people and advocates. It is now important that government take these recommendations seriously and act on them.” At an Intersex Roundtable, organised by ITANZ and the Commission in April this year, representatives from community organisations, universities, medical practitioner organisations and government agreed to work toward the establishment of the National Intersex Multi-Sectoral Expert Advisory Group. An approach will now be made to the Director General of Health to progress this.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 11th October 2016 - 1:29pm