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Responding to new figures released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) today, which show that the number of hungry people has risen for the third year in a row, mainly as a result of conflict and the climate crisis, Oxfam International’s Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said:
“Despite spiralling hunger and two global food price crises in a little over ten years, hunger has fallen off the political agenda.
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Oxfam is warning that thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are in danger after almost a month’s worth of rain fell in just a week.
Cox’s Bazar is home to the world’s largest refugee camp where more than 900,000 refugees live in fragile homes built from bamboo and tarpaulin.
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“The report has shown us that there is widespread support from parents, whānau and students for relationships and sexuality education (RSE), but there is a need to improve consistency across the RSE curriculum as a whole.”
“In an increasingly fractured and online world, it is important that parents and whānau know what their rangatahi are learning at school. Nowhere is this more important than in relationships and sexuality education.”
“The 21 key findings and the seven recommendations will make a welcome difference to the experience of RSE for all of our ākonga. In particular, the recommendation to move away from the current ad hoc practice towards a more prescriptive and structured approach is one we support in this case. RSE is too important to be left to chance, and often much of the material is outside of the lived experience of those delivering the curriculum. A structured approach ensures age-appropriate, identity-affirming information is delivered across the board.”
“Students have made it clear what they want to learn, and when. It is essential that student voice is recognised when the curriculum is reviewed. It is also important that any changes are properly resourced. The addition of appropriate teaching resources and professional learning for teachers should also be considered, to support those delivering RSE.”
“We acknowledge the challenge that principals and schools face when consulting with their communities on the RSE guidelines, and that this process can be difficult and divisive. We support the recommendation to consider moving from a two-yearly consultation requirement to one that requires schools to inform parents and whānau about what they plan to teach, and how, before teaching it.
This knowledge will enable parents, whānau, and their young person to make decisions about what is right for them. For the minority that want less RSE, they would be better able to identity the lessons they wish to withdraw from, and the same would be true for those who wish to know more. With a clear understanding of what is not being taught, they can supplement the learning in their own homes”.
“We know that often there is a narrow view of what RSE is. In most cases it is about helping young people understand how to navigate friendships and thinking about others in an inclusive way. These are key skills for being an active member of your community and wider society.”
Last modified on Tuesday, 10 December 2024 08:30
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Privacy Week 2025 is a series of free webinars promoting privacy awareness. Our 2025 theme is “Privacy on Purpose”, which invites speakers to present on the need for businesses, organisations, and individuals to be purposeful with their privacy. Doing privacy well is a business advantage, not just a tick-box exercise.
Section 21c of the Privacy Act 2020 requires the Commissioner to take account of cultural perspectives on privacy – a somewhat unusual feature in the global context of data privacy regulation. In this webinar we discuss how this requirement might be more effectively leveraged to create a privacy regime that is more fit-for-purpose for Māori, and indeed for all New Zealanders. We discuss recent research on Māori data privacy, the potential for a long overdue Māori data code, and use case examples where Māori privacy considerations are put into practice to create better outcomes.- Local Govt privacy breaches (and things to avoid!)
– Interplay between the Privacy Act and other legislation e.g. LGOIMA
– Tips for protecting the privacy of individuals
– Common issues faced by elected members
– How Council officers can do privacy wellRebecca Hawkins, member of the Children’s Working Group of the Privacy Foundation NZ
| Webinar time | Topic | Description | Speaker(s) |
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9am – 10am |
Hear from John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner |
Join former Privacy Commissioner John Edwards, live from the UK, as he talks about his experience as their Information Commissioner. He’ll share his observations on, and comparisons between, UK and New Zealand privacy approaches – including those created by the different legislative frameworks. He’ll also answer any questions people have or you can send those in ahead of time to privacyweek@privacy.org.nz Register for this webinar. |
John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner |
|
12pm – 1pm |
Privacy Officers Role: Getting Ahead of Risks Before They Become Breaches |
BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE Join Marcin and Laura for a practical session focused on strengthening your organisation’s approach to privacy, rooted in a thorough understanding of risks and applying targeted mitigation strategies. We’ll explore what purposeful privacy management looks like – from data-mapping and understanding the personal information you hold and use, to identifying risks, and responding effectively when things go wrong. Register for this webinar. |
Dr Marcin Betkier, AI governance and privacy expert Laura Rodriguez, Privacy Professional and Senior Compliance Officer |
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1.30pm – 2.30pm |
Where is the line of creepy? |
BEGINNER Your data is collected in many places and by many different agencies. What are you happy with them doing with your data? your children’s data? your community’s data? When is it that things can start to feel a bit creepy? The Privacy Act describes what we can do, legally, with personal information. But just because we can do something – should we do it? With the lived wisdom of people from different communities, we will explore the human side of personal data collection and use. How do our worldviews shape how we see our data? What harm can occur from legal data use with good intentions? Where do our individual lines of creepy lie? And what can we do when faced with the question: “should we”? Register for this webinar. |
The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation – with Friends |
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3pm – 4pm |
Answering your questions about Māori data sovereignty |
Join Chris Cormack and Ernestynne Walsh as they address a number of questions they received from their webinar in Privacy Week 2024 “Myth: Māori data sovereignty is too hard.” Register for this webinar. |
Ernestynne Walsh, Māori data service lead at Nicholson Consulting Chris Cormack, Kaihuawaere Matihiko at Catalyst IT |
During May each year we run Privacy Week, a series of free webinars that promote privacy awareness regardless of how much you already know. Contact us at privacyweek@privacy.org.nz
Privacy Week is held in conjunction with Privacy Awareness Week, an initiative by the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) network. Find out more about APPA and Privacy Awareness Week.
These presentations are brought to you for Privacy Week, an initiative supported by the Privacy Commissioner to promote the discussion of privacy. Each presentation is independent of the Privacy Commissioner and the views expressed are personal to the speakers. As the regulator, the Privacy Commissioner may have different views to those expressed in this presentation.
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If you have any particular scenarios you want us to consider in our guidance let us know. You can send these to guidance@privacy.org.nz
Information updated 3 April 2025.
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State houses at Arapuni Hydro Works from Archives NZ record number A1124
The guidance below is for tenants, landlords, and others in the rental accommodation sector to clarify what information may be requested at every stage of the rental process.
We have also launched a new monitoring and compliance programme to ensure that rental agencies and landlords stay on the right side of the Privacy Act.
If you have enquiries about the Privacy Act and rentals please email our Compliance Team.
We’ve also included questions for tenants and landlords in our Ask Us database.
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The Privacy Commissioner has today announced his intention to issue a Biometrics Code.
He is releasing the Biometric Processing Privacy Code for consultation and is calling for submissions on the draft Code from the public and any agencies it would apply to.
“The Code will help agencies implement the technology, while giving people confidence it’s being done safely and fairly”, Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says.
“New Zealand doesn’t currently have special rules for biometrics. The Privacy Act regulates the use of personal information in New Zealand, including biometric information, but biometrics needs special protections especially in specific circumstances.”
Biometric processing is the use of technologies, like facial recognition technology, to collect and process people’s biometric information to identify them or learn more about them.
A Biometrics Code would modify some of the principles in the Privacy Act and create more specific privacy rules for agencies using biometric technologies to collect and process biometric information.
The major additional rules in the Code are:
Mr Webster said that earlier in 2024, OPC had consulted on an exposure draft version of a Biometrics Code.
“We consulted on these draft rules and that showed we have broad support for these proposals, but also that some changes were needed, which we have made”.
The Code has been simplified to improve understanding of what processes were included and excluded and some rules, like the notice requirements, have been clarified.
The restrictions on using biometrics (fair use limits) are now targeted to the most intrusive and highest risk uses. We’ve also added a new requirement for organisations to tell people where they can find a rundown of their assessment of the pros and cons of using biometrics, where they’ve made this public.
Other changes included increasing the commencement period from 6 months to 9 months for organisations already using biometrics and adding a new provision to allow for a trial for organisations to assess biometric processing.
Draft guidance material has been developed to help organisations know what the rules are and explain how to comply with the Code. We are releasing this draft guidance alongside the Code consultation and also want people’s feedback on that.
“The feedback we’ve gained, and our own analysis has helped us to develop a code that will help ensure biometric technologies are used safely and fairly. But it’s important to get this right, so people have the chance to provide feedback through a public consultation to March 2025.
The Code is expected to come in force in 2025.
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This issue includes a note that the Biometric Code consultation has now closed, and that the final version of the Code will likely be published mid-2025. It also includes policy advice for government agencies, Kordia research and what OPC said about that, the Global Privacy Assembly’s new comparison tables, and the delay of the UK’s adequacy review. We also announce a special guest for Privacy Week 2025.
Read the March 2025 issue.
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New research just out from Kordia shows 35% of business leaders said cyber-attacks or data leaks coming through third-party suppliers were their biggest business concern.
Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says, “The law is very clear that when an agency outsources services to a third-party provider, the agency remains responsible for ensuring the data remains secure and used in a way that is compliant with the Privacy Act.
“At the end of the day, if your third-party provider has a privacy breach, it’s your problem as well,” he said.
Mr Webster says OPC isn’t alone in emphasising that privacy and security considerations need to be at the fore when using third-party providers.
“Kordia’s research backs up what we’ve long said; that businesses need to factor third parties into business continuity and cyber-response plans.
“It’s clear that more consideration needs to be given to these privacy issues and it’s not a case of out of sight out of mind and thinking a third-party provider has everything covered.
“You can’t outsource the responsibility of taking care of personal information.”
Mr Webster, says it’s not just an issue for the private sector, with the recent PSC Inquiry and the Stats NZ report raising privacy issues linked to the use of third parties.
This research is yet more evidence that agencies need to pay more attention to privacy and cyber security risks when using third party providers and to make sure there’s a plan in place should that provider suffer a privacy or cyber breach.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has recently issued guidance to help agencies working with third-party providers understand their responsibilities in this area. It takes businesses through all the considerations they should make before engaging a third-party provider.