Mana Mokopuna Children And Young People'S Commission

We are an independent advocate for all 1.2 million children aged under 18 in Aotearoa. We also advocate for care-experienced young people under 25. Mana Mokopuna - Children and Young People’s Commission is a new name for our organisation, but we have a rich whakapapa built on the commitment of former Children’s Commissioners since 1989. The Commission is an Independent Crown Entity governed by a board of six Commissioners led by Chief Children’s Commissioner Judge Frances Eivers. It advocates for children's rights to be recognised and upheld, provides advice and guidance to government and other agencies, advocates for system-level changes, ensures children's voices are heard in decisions that affect them and monitors places where young people are detained. Our name, Mana Mokopuna, describes who we are and what we stand for. At its heart, Mana Mokopuna recognises the many elements that support mokopuna to thrive. It focuses on young people in the context of their family, whānau, hapū, iwi and wider community. It also recognises that their participation in decisions that affect them is vitally important.