The Office of Treaty Settlements (in
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
: ''Te Tari Whakatau Take e pa ana ki te Tiriti o Waitangi'') is an office within the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
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tasked with negotiating settlements due to historical breaches of the
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the History of New Zealand, history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in ...
. It reports and provides advice on policy and negotiations to the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.
The functions of the organisation are to:
* Advise the government on generic Treaty issues, including overall strategies for settling historical Treaty claims;
* Advise and assist claimant groups to ensure well-mandated, large natural groups of claimants are ready to enter negotiations;
* Negotiate with Māori on behalf of the Crown;
* Implement settlements;
* Ensure that the Crown undertakes research into historical Treaty grievances and has its position represented at Waitangi Tribunal hearings; and
* Advise on the acquisition, management, transfer and disposal of Crown-owned property for Treaty claim purposes.
The Office of Treaty Settlements also administers many of the Treaty of Waitangi Settlement Acts, for a list of these see the
list of Treaty settlements.
The office was originally formed in 1988, as the Treaty of Waitangi Policy Unit within the Department of Justice. It was set up to advise on policy and assist in negotiations and litigation of Māori treaty claims and at the Waitangi Tribunal.
References
External links
Office of Treaty Settlements
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Government agencies of New Zealand
Treaty of Waitangi