New Zealand’s First Children’s Commissioner receives UN Award

New Zealand’s first Children’s Commissioner, Paediatrician Ian Hassell has received an international award from the United Nations for his lifelong contribution to improving the rights of children.

Dr Hassell, now a research associate at the Institute of Public Policy at Auckland University of Technology received the Aldo Farina Award in recognition of a sustained contribution to child rights advocacy from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Seoul, Korea.

Dr Hassell has been instrumental in a number of child safety initiatives such as cot death prevention and the fencing of swimming pools to prevent drowning. He was also involved in the setting up of a helpline for children and young people, and more recently been a strong advocate of the amendments to Section 59.