The government’s reasoning is that Palestine hasn’t yet met the criteria for being recognised. Interestingly, there was a much lesser standard when New Zealand was first recognised as an independent nation in the 19th century.
The first country to recognise New Zealand as an independent state was Great Britain. This month is the 190th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand that led to that formal recognition.
The declaration was signed initially on October 28, 1835 at Waitangi by 34 rangatira from the north of New Zealand.
It had four articles. The first was a declaration that New Zealand was an independent state, the second stated that Kingitanga (sovereign power) rested in them and so no government could be constituted unless approved by them.
The third stated that they would meet annually to frame laws, and the fourth thanked King William IV for recognising New Zealand’s national flag and asked him to protect their independence because of their inexperience in matters of statehood.
The British colonial office acknowledged this declaration and agreed to protect New Zealand’s independence as long as the rights and properties of British citizens living in New Zealand were also protected.
Eventually 52 rangatira from the top half of the North Island signed the declaration.
The declaration’s importance was shown five years later with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Britain wanted sovereignty over New Zealand, but had already recognised that sovereignty was held by Māori and that they couldn’t obtain it unless Māori agreed to relinquish it.
Lord Normanby, the Colonial Secretary, wrote instructions to Captain Hobson on how and why he should create a treaty with Māori.
He said Māori "title to the soil and to the sovereignty of New Zealand is indisputable and has been solemnly recognised by the British government".
He did express some doubts as to whether Māori had a deep enough understanding of sovereignty. Despite this, he declared that the British were still bound to recognise it.
There are some who would say that because Māori didn’t fully understand the notion of national sovereignty, how could they then possess it. This makes as much sense as saying that a person only possesses human rights if they fully understand the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
We know all people possess human rights and all New Zealanders possess rights and freedoms under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, whether they understand them or not.
In the drafting of the Treaty, the Declaration of Independence was so much at the forefront of British thinking that the Treaty of Waitangi mentions it three times including the controversial first article, which in the Māori version allows British government but in the English version cedes sovereignty.
The parties to the Treaty were referred to as "the chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent chiefs who have not become members of the Confederation". When the Treaty was agreed to on February 6, 1840, Captain Hobson wrote excitedly to his superiors that he just got the signatures of 26 of the 52 rangatira who had signed the declaration and so considered New Zealand’s entry into the British empire from that point settled.
The initiative for the declaration did not come from Māori. It was instigated and promoted by the British official James Busby who was trying to entrench greater British influence because of his worry of the designs the French had on New Zealand.
This is perhaps why a unified Māori political structure didn’t get off the ground at first — it wasn’t based on our needs. It wasn’t until nearly 20 years later that Māori saw the need to unite and to organise themselves nationally in response to being excluded from the first New Zealand parliament in 1854.
The New Zealand settlers had proven that they couldn’t be trusted and so Rangatira from all over the country gathered and discussed the choosing of a king who would oversee their own national political structure. Pōtatau Te Wherowhero was elected first Māori King in 1857 to provide a joint head of state with Queen Victoria.
This was not greeted fondly by the British settlers who prosecuted a war to undermine Māori authority. However, the institution of the Kingitanga continues to this day.
For all its weaknesses the Declaration of Independence is New Zealand’s founding document and not the Treaty of Waitangi.
Maybe this October 28, as we celebrate the recognition of New Zealand’s status as an independent state, we could also take the opportunity to recognise Palestine.
• Dr Anaru Eketone is an associate professor in the University of Otago’s social and community work programme.
