The NZRAP, supported by CAPRS in its Secretariat role, recently gathered in Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington for two days of engagement with government, sector partners, and community representatives.
The first day focused on collaboration with Immigration New Zealand (INZ), including updates on New Zealand’s refugee commitments, progress on implementation, and forward planning ahead of the Global Refugee Forum progress review. The day concluded with a constructive discussion with Associate Minister Casey Costello, exploring NZRAP’s priorities for the coming term and ways to strengthen refugee participation in national decision-making.
On the second day, NZRAP joined sector colleagues at Parliament for the National Refugee Resettlement Forum (NRRF) Working Group 2025, which brought together representatives from government agencies, NGOs, and refugee-led organisations for a day of reflection and shared planning.
Presenting the NZRAP Recommendations…
A highlight of the Forum was the presentation of the NZRAP Legacy Piece Recommendations Summary (2022–2025), a comprehensive set of recommendations developed by the outgoing cohort to guide future refugee policy and participation practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Both outgoing and incoming NZRAP members contributed to outlining and discussing the recommendations, drawing on their collective expertise and lived experience. The Legacy Piece is organised around eight thematic areas, each containing multiple recommendations aimed at advancing refugee inclusion, leadership, and protection.
One of the key themes, Meaningful Refugee Participation (MRP), includes recommendations to:
- Adopt a whole-of-society approach, embedding refugee participation across government, civil society, academia, and the private sector.
- Recognise refugees as experts beyond lived experience, valuing their diverse professional and technical expertise within policy and decision-making processes.
These examples reflect NZRAP’s wider vision for embedding refugee leadership across systems and ensuring participation that is both meaningful and sustained. Readers are encouraged to explore the full list of recommendations to understand the breadth of insights and proposals developed by the Panel.
Minister Costello formally acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing NZRAP cohort, presenting certificates of appreciation, and welcomed the new members to their roles.
NZRAP extends its thanks to Immigration New Zealand for hosting the event and to Vira Paky for facilitating a constructive and inclusive discussion. The two-day programme reaffirmed NZRAP’s commitment to building stronger partnerships and ensuring that refugee voices continue to shape policy and practice across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Read the NZRAP Legacy Piece Recommendations Summary here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PgPeFMwWpstQaCZRkFvK5Gb3-O5G7qK4/view?usp=sharing
