Ministry for Ethnic Communities (New Zealand)

**About us** The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is the chief advisor to the government on ethnic diversity and inclusion in New Zealand society. We provide information, advice and services to ethnic communities, and give out funds to support community development and social cohesion. **Our work** We work with communities, government agencies and other organisations to strengthen the wellbeing of ethnic communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. What we do: - Advise on the impact of government policies on ethnic communities and look for opportunities for positive change - Improve how the public sector responds to the needs of ethnic communities - Understand what ethnic communities need to succeed and communicate this to the government - Support ethnic communities to achieve their goals We want to help create real change for ethnic communities in New Zealand. By working together and sharing knowledge, we can support ethnic communities to thrive in New Zealand society. **Our priorities** To understand what ethnic communities want us to focus on, the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities ran a series of targeted workshops in April and May 2021. Based on the results of the workshops, Cabinet agreed the Ministry’s priorities are to: - Promote the value of diversity and improve the inclusion of ethnic communities in wider society - Ensure government services are provided fairly and are easily accessible for ethnic communities - Improve economic outcomes for ethnic communities and look at the barriers to employment - Connect and uplift ethnic community groups