the Commissioner for Children carrying out a systematic review of all legislation and regulations for compliance with CRC, reporting to Parliament, and recommending a plan and timeframe for achieving compliance;
all government agencies reviewing their policies and actions for compliance with CRC, stating what polices and actions to not comply and a timeframe for achieving compliance;
monitoring of compliance with the CRC by the Commissioner for Children and annual progress reports to Parliament; and
development and wide dissemination of guidelines for education, health, care and protection, youth justice, income support and other sectors, and local government on putting CRC into practice.

3. Develop and implement an effective national strategy for children.
If the Agenda for Children is to make a real difference, it must

be given high priority by government and the Prime Minister must be clearly associated with its development and implementation;
include specific measures for the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child;
link with the planning processes across health, education, welfare and all the other sectors that directly or indirectly affect children, and the development of the government's budget;
set out a decentralised process for delivery across sectors;
include specific priorities and time-limited goals;
be widely disseminated; and
have reports on progress in implementation made to Parliament every year.

4. Act urgently to improve the situation of Maori children.

This includes:

in partnership with Maori, developing and implementing a plan of action for Maori children which addresses the rights of Maori children under the Treaty of Waitangi as well as CRC;
ensuring the Agenda for Children links into the plan of action for Maori children; and
giving Maori children high priority in implementing the other Actions described here.

5. Act urgently to improve the situation of Pacific children.

This includes:

in partnership with Pacific peoples, developing and implementing a plan of action for Pacific children;
ensuring the Agenda for Children links into the plan of action for Pacific children;
giving Pacific children high priority in implementing the other Actions described here; and
translating CRC into Pacific languages.

6. Establish effective government structures for children.

This includes:

a senior Cabinet minister or a Cabinet committee having responsibility for children;
assessments on the impact of all proposed government policies and programmes on children;
annual reports on the proportion of the government budget devoted to expenditures on children;
a Parliamentary select committee on children;
having the Commissioner for Children report directly to Parliament (currently the Commissioner reports to a minister); and
appointing child advocates within organisations which affect children.

7. Eradicate child poverty within ten years.

The Child Poverty Action Group has proposed a range of strategies across sectors to eradicate child poverty within ten years. Immediate steps include:

lowering taxes for poor families;
making basic benefits adequate for living costs;
stopping discriminating against children on the basis of whether the family income comes from paid employment or a benefit;
extending the tax credit that is currently available to parents in paid employment to all families with children and ensure all families accress
their tax credit entitlements;
having an amnesty on accumulated beneficiary debt;
increasing the amount of money that people on benefits can earn without losing their benefits;
making childcare provisions more generous and supportive of work effort; and
developing a national housing strategy which ensures that families with children can live in affordable and healthy housing (St John et al., 2001).

8. Act to protect children from violence.

This includes:

fixing the problems of care and protection services (including implementing the recommendations of the recent ministerial inquiry);
ending physical punishment of children; and
protecting children from the harmful effects of other family violence through development of family violence services.

9. Act to protect the rights of children in special circumstances.

This includes:

children of different ethnic groups;
children living in single parent families;
children in need of care and protection;
children with disabilities;
children with mental health needs; and
children who are refugees and asylum seekers.

10. Increase the opportunities for children to participate in civil society.

This includes:

developing and implementing a plan of action to change the way children are viewed so they are recognised and respected as partners within families, communities and society;
developing opportunities within the school curriculum for children to learn about human rights and the CRC;
ensuring central and local government organisations and schools consult with children on policies and services that affect them;
ensuring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consults with children before completing reports on compliance to international human rights agencies on matters affecting them;
developing guidelines for organisations on how to listen and respond to the concerns of children; and
developing training on the participatory rights of children for lawyers, judges, the police, teachers, health workers, social workers, and other professionals involved with children.

Click here for more information about children in New Zealand.