Webinars
The Children’s Rights Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (CRAANZ) is hosting a new webinar series about advancing children’s rights in Aotearoa, with a special focus on the UN’s urgent recommendations to NZ released in 2023.
Follow CRAANZ’s Advancing Children’s Rights in Aotearoa New Zealand Webinar Series below:
Strengthening Kinship Care: Upholding the Rights of Children and Their Families/Whānau
Monday 13 October 2025 | 12-1:30pm
This webinar is focused on exploring children’s and indigenous rights in relation to kinship care and care by whānau, noting the UN’s urgent recommendations to New Zealand in 2023 regarding the Alternative Care of Children to:
prevent and reduce the number of children removed from their family environment by providing assistance and support services to parents and caregivers
strongly invest in measures developed and implemented by Māori children and communities to prevent their placement in out-of-home care, limit removal, when it is deemed necessary, to the shortest time possible, provide them with adequate support while in alternative care, including access to mental health and therapeutic services, and facilitate reintegration into their families and communities.
This webinar is free to attend.
We invite you to join CRAANZ or make a donation to support CRAANZ’ work.
Upholding Children’s Rights in Youth Justice
Friday 13 June 2025 | 12-1pm
The Committee on the Rights of the Child highlighted youth justice as a priority area for reform in the Concluding Observations of its 2023 review of New Zealand. The recommendations included:
Raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years
Reducing the proportion of children in secure residences on remand by strengthening non-custodial measures
For the few situations where children are placed in custody as a last resort, ensuring that detention conditions comply with international standards
Developing an effective action plan to eliminate the over representation of rangatahi Māori in the youth justice system.
Our speakers
Chair | Sonja Cooper: Principal Partner, Cooper Legal, leading youth justice lawyer
Harvena Cherrington (Ngāti Hine, Ngā Puhi): Harvena is co-chair of YouthLaw and is a practicing Barrister and Solicitor in South Auckland. Harvena has over 20 years’ experience in youth law, starting her career as Māori Youth Solicitor at YouthLaw. She has practised at all levels of the Criminal Court, Youth Court and in the Family Court in both Defence and previously as a Prosecutor for the New Zealand Police.
Dr. James Knight: James is a child and adolescent psychiatrist based at Te Whatu Ora Hawkes Bay and at the Regional Forensic Service, Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley