Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

The High Court in Auckland has found policies of the NZ Superfund are ‘unreasonable and unlawful’ and fail to properly address human rights issues, when the Fund considers excluding companies from its portfolio of investments.

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa issued judicial review proceedings against the Superfund for its failure to divest its investment in Israeli companies which the UN says are complicit in the Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

The Court’s just released judgment found:

“The Guardian’s policies fail to meet the basic requirements of the Act (New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001) so far as exclusion from the fund for alleged breach of human rights standards is concerned. They are unreasonable and unlawful. (para 86)^[1]

The Guardians have a duty to reformulate the policy documents.   

Once legally compliant policy documents are in place the Guardians will inevitably have to make decisions about the challenged investments in accordance with these policy documents. (para 102)”

“This is an important and timely win for Palestine”, says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto. “We are certain if the Superfund now does its job properly, it will quickly divest from the four companies it holds investments in which are on the United Nations Human Rights Council list of companies involved in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.”

“As things stand, the Superfund is raking in money from the most appalling breaches of international law by Israel in the OPT, that is Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”

“New Zealanders expect the highest of standards from our leading sovereign wealth fund, which should be setting the benchmark for all New Zealand investment funds.”

“No New Zealander on national superannuation in the future wants to have money in their pocket made from Israel’s war crimes and massive human rights abuses of Palestinians in the OPT.

Minto says of extreme concern to PSNA, is the revelation from the judgment, that in June 2022, a year after the Fund had divested from five Israeli banks, it gutted its exclusions policy and removed all direct references to human rights standards. 

In particular, the new abbreviated policy removed the reference to the human rights standard in the UN Global Compact.  The High Court said the new policies are now 

“materially less clear and specific than previous iterations and there is no practical benchmark for those applying the policy in relation to alleged breaches of human rights standards” (para 60)

The High Court judgment also says:

“The current policy documents no longer link exclusion directly to any human rights standards”

“This is beyond outrageous” says Minto. “Our largest sovereign wealth fund, owned by the government on behalf of the people of New Zealand, has no specific references to human rights standards in its investment exclusions policy.”

Previously the Fund used policy documents, such as the United Nations Global Compact, an internationally recognised investment guideline which specifically includes human rights standards.

“But it removed the Global Compact and gutted its policy of any other direct reference to human rights, after it had made a previous principled decision on the five Israeli banks.”

“Not only was the Superfund in breach of its statutory obligations, but it was setting an illegally based template for KiwiSaver schemes and major private companies, such as those who sell Israeli products here, such as Sodastream.”

“We don’t believe it is a coincidence that the Fund dropped the policy after heavy pressure from the pro-Israel lobby, following the divestment decision on the five Israeli banks which profit from funding illegal Israeli settlements.”

“The Superfund replaced a principled policy with an entirely vague and subjective assessment of companies which meant they could resist pressure from human rights groups such as PSNA.  The Fund was entirely making up legal sounding excuses as it went. It meant they could now keep on their books other companies which abuse the human rights of Palestinians.”

“Opting out of policies, which the High Court found were meant to be a statutory requirement, appears to be a cowardly backdown to backdoor bullying, which is standard operating procedure by the pro-Israeli lobby everywhere in the world.  The Fund’s obligation is to stand up against human rights abuses without fear or favour,” says Minto.

“The Superfund owes us all an apology – and in particular an apology to Palestinians here and in Palestine, whose suffering is helping pay the price of the Fund’s increasing wealth.”

John Minto

Co-Chair2@PSNA.nz

Researchers are designing chatbots to help make life online safer and more welcoming for seniors.

New research, co-authored by Dr Jade Brooks (University of Auckland), led by Dr Yenni Tim (University of New South Wales) with Delen Zeng (Beijing Jiaotong University) and Joshua Huynh (AMP Limited), explores how properly designed tech can help older people feel safe, confident and included when they go online, not just able to use technology, but comfortable doing so.

The project, in partnership with a major Australian humanitarian organisation, focuses on senior citizens who increasingly rely on digital portals to access essential services such as healthcare, banking and government support. Many of these seniors live in rural areas, where in-person support is limited.

Traditionally, the organisation relied on caseworkers, often older volunteers themselves, to help people navigate online systems at home. However, an ageing population and rising demand are straining this model, says Brooks, a lecturer in information systems at the Business School.

To address this challenge, the research team co-designed an AI-powered chatbot.

Drawing on interviews with senior citizens, volunteer caseworkers, and staff from the partner organisation, the study identifies the limits of existing ‘digitally inclusive’ design and proposes a new concept: ‘socially inclusive design’.

“Socially inclusive design asks, does this technology help people feel they belong, that they can act independently, and that any concerns about safety are taken seriously,” says Brooks.

“The chatbot is intended to complement and, in some cases, relieve caseworkers' workload by guiding seniors step-by-step through online tasks, while also helping build skills and confidence over time.”

Tim, an associate professor at UNSW Business School, says the chatbot interface offers socially relevant and familiar interactions, making it feel trustworthy, personal, and reflective of users’ real-world social practices.

“We programmed supportive, reassuring, and adaptive settings that allow seniors to build confidence over time, enabling independent digital interactions.

“We also provided the system with positive feedback mechanisms and community-building features that encourage seniors to share experiences and develop a sense of belonging within its digital environments.”

Brooks, whose broader work examines digital inclusion and the changing nature of work, says the project is about more than making websites and apps accessible.

She says that while many older people are technically able to use online services, they often choose not to because they lack a sense of safety, confidence, or control.

At the University of Canterbury (UC) Graduation on 15/04/2026, UC Security ordered a student to remove a keffiyeh* from under their graduation regalia before they would be allowed to attend their ceremony. The mandate came from the Head of Security, who told the student that the cultural garment was 'inappropriate,' 'did not count as cultural wear,' and was 'promoting protest.' The student was told they would not be able to attend the graduation ceremony wearing the keffiyeh, where they were to receive their degree shortly thereafter. Their keffiyeh was then confiscated for the ceremony.

The student, who did not want to be named, said “I felt I had no choice but to comply with the request or be outright excluded. If the head of Security is comfortable forcing students to disrobe a keffiyeh at his request, then how can students' rights to cultural expression exist at UC?”

Students for Justice in Palestine Canterbury (SJP) describes the move as “overtly racist- and an indefensible, conscious promotion of Islamaphobic ideology.” Spokesperson for the group Joseph Bray states; “Threatening to withhold the graduation of a student based on the wearing of a keffiyeh is a serious overstep of Security powers, and a disgusting display of cultural weaponisation by the University.” UC Security determined that this student could not wear their cultural attire based entirely on their physical appearance, in a disgusting form of racist overreach. Who is any member of the University of Canterbury to determine if somebody is 'appropriate' enough to wear cultural clothing?”

This incident follows from a continual stream of accusations of racism against UC Security. SJP has identified multiple instances in which students feel UC Security has acted in a racist manner towards them because of their Muslim faith, nationality, or appearance. Many of these students say they have attempted to seek support from both the University and the UCSA, but have been told the complaint would likely not result in any further action against Security. One student who wishes to remain anonymous, describes their experience: 'The processes of complaints at UC are unproductive and discouraging […] there needs to be room for external investigation.”

SJP has too experienced the continual failures and lack of justice from UC's internal investigations process. For example, In May 2025, UC Security Supervisor Daniel O'Sullivan broke a student's arm and concussed two others while forcibly removing them from a peaceful SJP sit-in over UC's $300,000+ investment in weapons and armaments (1). Similarly, in March 2025, UC Security sent surveillance footage of a legal anti-Police talk to the Police themselves without being presented a warrant, in a significant breach of attendees' privacy (2). Further, in 2025 a student was sprayed in the face with a high-power pressure washer by a UC Security Guard for filming the removal of pro-Palestinian chalk on Campus. Spokesperson Joseph Bray states: “The lack of any substantial repercussions for these actions highlights the University of Canterbury's wilful acceptance of both violence and racism within the institution. As long as UC refuses to acknowledge and rectify their biases, students will continue to experience racism and violence from their university, with no genuine redress.”    

Students for Justice in Palestine Canterbury reiterates our call for the University of Canterbury to sever all ties with the apartheid state of Israel, and the companies which provide it material support. Additionally, they must condemn the intentional destruction of universities in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria by the Israeli Defence Force and United States Military, as well as work to provide active pathways to ensure the safety and academic freedom of students and academics within. Internally, we demand a truly independent investigation into the culture of racism and violence at the institution-level within UC and within UC Security.

Students for Justice in Palestine Canterbury

* The keffiyeh is a traditional West Asian article of clothing, and distinct variations have been adopted by numerous nations and peoples as both a form of protection from the elements, as well as a cultural symbol. One particular design has been used as a symbol within the Palestinian movement for liberation, though its association with the movement certainly does not undermine its cultural significance to the Palestinian people.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360674351/video-shows-scuffle-university-canterbury-pro-palestine-protest
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-04-2025/activists-raise-concerns-over-police-obtaining-cctv-footage-of-meeting-at-university

Geneva 15 April 2026 – Government officials representing more than 20 nuclear-weapon-free nations in Asia and the Pacific will meet in Jakarta on Friday, 17 April 2026, to discuss the urgent need to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The one-day conference will be funded by Austria and co-hosted with Indonesia, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Discussions will focus on the universalisation and implementation of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the threat facing all countries from nuclear weapons. (ref. https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/our-work/weapons-mass-destruction/nuclear-weapons/treaty-prohibition-nuclear-weapons )

Indonesia served as a vice-president of the Bureau of the President of the negotiations during the General Assembly talks leading to the adoption of the TPNW in 2017 and ratified the TPNW in 2024.  Austria chaired the first meeting of TPNW States Parties in 2022 in Vienna, coordinated the TPNW’s Security Concerns process and currently serves as a co-chair of its informal working group on universalisation.

The purpose of the conference is to take stock of the work achieved under the TPNW and advance the process of further states joining it, as well as raise awareness about the humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.

Countries attending will include states parties and signatories to the TPNW, as well as those that have yet to sign the treaty.

H.E. Tri Tharyat, Director-General of Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, said: “This Conference comes at a critical moment. With the Eleventh NPT Review Conference approaching and the First TPNW Review Conference later this year, the Conference can help shape both processes in a meaningful way.”

DG Tharyat continued: “The reality we face is clear. Nuclear risks are rising, driven by heightened geopolitical tensions and the continued reliance on nuclear deterrence. For the Asia-Pacific, this is not a distant concern. It is a direct and growing security challenge. The TPNW offers a principled response. It reinforces the global disarmament architecture, complements the NPT, and places humanitarian considerations at the center of security thinking. It also challenges us to rethink the role of nuclear weapons in ensuring security. “

Ambassador George-Wilhelm Gallhofer, Director of Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-proliferation at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria, said: “In the current geopolitical climate with a renewed focus on nuclear deterrence and rearmament, the risk of nuclear weapon use is as high as it has ever been. Any such detonation – whether intentionally, by accident or inadvertently – would have catastrophic and far-reaching humanitarian and environmental consequences. The Pacific region has and continues to bear the consequences of large-scale nuclear testing. The only effective measure to eliminate the risk stemming from nuclear weapons is abolition. Five years ago, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force. Since then, it has reinforced the legal and normative taboo against the possession and use of nuclear weapons and given the majority of non-nuclear-armed states a united voice. The Treaty demonstrates that multilateral diplomacy can deliver and that we can make real progress towards a world without nuclear weapons through cross-regional cooperation.”

Ambassador Gallhofer continued: “I am therefore grateful for the in-depth discussions at the “Asia-Pacific regional conference on the TPNW and the security concerns related to nuclear weapons” in Jakarta with participants from 20 states. The Asia-Pacific and Central Asian regions brought their unique and important experience and perspectives to further our joint work towards a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Martin De Boer, the Head of the ICRC’s Regional Delegation in Jakarta, welcomed the meeting: “Nuclear disarmament is more than ever an urgent imperative. It is also a humanitarian duty and shared responsibility of the international community. The indiscriminate, disproportionate and long-lasting destructive power of nuclear weapons makes the use of these weapons’ incompatible with International Humanitarian Law. Simply put, the use of nuclear weapons cannot comply with the laws of war. The humanitarian impact of the use of nuclear weapons would indeed create a public health emergency of catastrophic, unimaginable and unprecedented proportions. We must not only remember the past but learn from it and take urgent action to prevent the unspeakable from happening again. The ICRC strongly encourages all States that have not yet done so to ratify or adhere to the TPNW without delay.”

ICAN’s Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Céline Nehory, said that the Jakarta conference would help to solidify regional support for the TPNW at a crucial moment: “Building support for the treaty is more urgent than ever given the perilous state of the world, and the continued existence of more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the hands of the nine nuclear-armed countries”.

Five of the world’s nine nuclear-armed nations are in Asia: China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. Most nations in Asia and the Pacific, however, are strongly opposed to nuclear weapons, having joined the TPNW and treaties that establish nuclear-weapon-free zones in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the South Pacific.

In February, Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, warned that a war involving the use of nuclear weapons would have devastating, widespread consequences, including for nations with no direct involvement. He highlighted the potential for “nuclear winter” – a period of prolonged darkness, resulting in global agricultural collapse and famine – if a large number of nuclear weapons were used.

Background to the TPNW

The TPNW was adopted by 122 countries at the UN in 2017 and came into force five years ago, in January 2021. It now has the support of 140 states in the UN General Assembly and more than half of the world’s states (99) have already signed, ratified or acceded to the treaty.

The states parties to the treaty held their first meeting in Vienna in 2022, where they issued a landmark multilateral condemnation of nuclear threats that are specifically banned by the treaty, and they also agreed upon the Vienna Action Plan to implement the treaty.  In 2023 and 2025, the states met again in New York and among the measures they agreed was to call out nuclear deterrence doctrine as a threat to human security and an obstacle to nuclear disarmament. (ref. https://www.icanw.org/vienna_declaration_action_plan_overview?utm_campaign=media_advisory_jakarta_conf&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ican )

In November and December 2026, the states parties will convene the treaty’s first Review Conference, under the presidency of South Africa, to evaluate the progress that states parties are making to implement the treaty.

Against a backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions and the undermining of international law by some states, including nuclear-armed countries, the TPNW stands out as an example of successful multilateral cooperation where countries have come together to promote global security by working to end the existential threat to the whole world from nuclear weapons.

About ICAN

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of non-governmental organizations in one hundred countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations nuclear weapon ban treaty. This landmark global agreement was adopted in New York on 7 July 2017. The campaign was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2017, for its “groundbreaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition” of nuclear weapons. More information about ICAN can be found at: www.icanw.org

15 April 2026 – Tax Justice Aotearoa (TJA) has today released its Tax Policy Statement setting out a mix of proposals that together could rebalance our tax system so that it delivers for ordinary New Zealanders.

“Our policy statement shows that a tax system that works for everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand is possible,” says TJA spokesperson, Glenn Barclay.

“It is not a policy prescription, but sets a clear direction. We're keen to have the conversation with Aotearoa about how we gather the revenue we need to address the challenges we face – like increasing inequality and an ageing population; and gather that revenue more fairly – ensuring that those who have most to contribute make that contribution and addressing the impact of tax on the least well off.”

“But as successive polls have shown, there is solid support for tax reform and properly funding our public services, New Zealanders realise maintaining the status quo is not an option,” says Barclay.

“NZ is a low tax country compared to many other developed nations, and we're not gathering enough revenue to fund the things that matter for us to live good lives, like fully staffed hospitals and affordable housing, resilient infrastructure and nutritious school lunches.”

“We rely very heavily on income tax and GST, so working people are carrying more of the load of funding our public services. And our failure to properly tax wealth and big corporates directly contributes to increasing inequality, erodes living standards and opportunities for ordinary people, like working towards owning your own home,” says Barclay.

“As we confront yet another crisis, TJA is calling on the Government, and all political parties, to catch up with public sentiment, and to stop offering bandaids like tax cuts. It's time to embrace real solutions that will ensure we're gathering enough revenue to fund the things that matter, gathering it more fairly, and laying the foundation for a recovery that supports everyone in Aotearoa to have a better future,” says Barclay.

TJA's Tax Policy Statement sets out practical changes we can make to our tax system to catch-up with other developed countries' investment in public goods, services and infrastructure, to tackle inequality and to support a more productive and resilient economy. The proposed changes would close the gaps in tax on big corporates and ensure the wealthiest are paying their fair share, and include:

Tax surcharge on big corporates, for example a levy on major banks (as in the UK and Australia), a surcharge on sectors managing vital infrastructure or where there is a lack of competition, like supermarkets and gentailers.
Excess/windfall profits taxes, for example, on big corporates to discourage price gouging and excessive profits arising from the current fossil fuel crisis.
Taxing Big Tech and other multinationals by enforcing existing tax obligations and changing the law to require these corporate giants to be more transparent about the profits they're making, like the Public Country-by-Country Reporting adopted in Australia.
Close the shareholder loans tax loophole, to prevent tax avoidance and reduce financial risk to small and medium size businesses (e.g. using the UK model).
Tax wealth more, not work, through a comprehensive capital gains tax (as in most OECD countries), high-wealth tax, trusts tax, and wealth transfer tax (as in Ireland).
Adjust income tax settings to better reflect ability to pay, by introducing a tax free band, making tax bands more progressive and raising the tax rate on the highest income earners. Most workers would pay less or the same tax under this proposal.
Addressing the impact of GST on the least well off, by reducing the rate of GST or introducing rebate system for people on low incomes (like in Canada).

Other important areas for reform in the TPS include: health, environmental and other remedial taxes; international taxation; transparency and administration of the tax system.

The full policy statement can be accessed here: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/tja/pages/3281/attachments/original/1776134165/TJA_Tax_Policy_Statement.pdf?1776134165

Zero Waste Aotearoa is calling on the New Zealand government to explicitly reject the export of New Zealand's waste to Fiji. A massive incinerator has been proposed for Fiji by Australian company TNG ltd.

It would be built in the Sawesi beachside area, a pristine coastline which is the ancestral arrival site for the people of the Vuda district. The application documents specifically mention New Zealand as a source of waste for the incinerator.

“This incinerator would burn 900,000 tonnes of waste per year, more than four times the waste that Fiji produces itself. Incinerating this much rubbish would leave Fiji with between 225,000-300,000 tonnes of highly toxic ash. This ash needs to be disposed of much more carefully than standard rubbish.” said Sue Coutts from Zero Waste Aotearoa

“Emissions to air, and ash from the incinerator will be toxic because mixed rubbish contains hazardous materials and chemicals of concern. When rubbish is burned these are concentrated in the ash and the filters and some escape into the air.”

“No wonder the locals are saying they don't want Fiji turned into a giant ashtray for Australia and New Zealand.”

“Burning this waste will generate hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions, so sending our waste to Fiji would also mean offloading our climate emissions to Fijians. The New Zealand Government has all but abandoned emissions reduction and waste minimisation plans. New Zealand needs to step up and take responsibility for the waste and GHG emissions we create .”

“The Australian billionaire developer, Ian Malouf of TNG Ltd, had his proposal for an Incinerator in Western Sydney turned down, so now he is taking his incineration plans to Fiji where regulations to protect health and environment are weaker. This is waste colonialism. It is racist, and it is wrong.”

“It is completely unacceptable for New Zealand to impose onto Fiji the social and environmental burden of dealing with our waste. This proposal locks in an arrogant approach to the Pacific where New Zealanders get to enjoy the imported consumer goods that we use, often for a short time, before sending our rubbish to someone else's country to burn and dump them so they bear the cost.” said Sue Coutts, spokesperson for Zero Waste Aotearoa.

“The global trade in waste and incineration technologies from countries with high GDP to those with lower GDP is based on power imbalances that are the result of historic political, economic and cultural injustice.”

“Imperial powers have treated the Pacific as a testing and dumping ground for 300 years. These practices trample on the human rights of the people of the Pacific and permanently damage the local environment. New Zealanders stood up against nuclear testing in the Pacific and we need to stand up against these toxic incinerators. It's all part of the same pattern.”

A solidarity campaign will be launched outside the Fijian High Commission on Friday morning at 9am in Wellington to express support for the communities in Fiji who are fighting this proposal. A demonstration in Fiji is planned for the same day at 10am.