Leiden law alumna appointed as Aotearoa New Zealand Chief Children’s Commissioner
Dr Claire Achmad has taken up the role of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Chief Children’s Commissioner from 1 November 2023, for a term of five years.
Dr Achmad’s appointment as Chief Children’s Commissioner of Aotearoa New Zealand means she is the national independent advocate for all children in Aotearoa New Zealand. She will be leading Mana Mokopuna - Children and Young People’s Commission, which is the Independent Crown Entity tasked with advocating for system-level change for and with children in her country.
Advocate for children’s rights
Dr Achmad says she will use her role to advocate for all children in Aotearoa New Zealand. ‘More than a million children and young people didn’t get to vote in our country’s recent general election, but decisions we make every day affect their lives – today and into the future. They have a right to be heard and participate fully in society.’
‘I’m excited to hear from children and young people about the issues that matter to them. I’ll be listening to them deeply, and to their whānau, hapū, iwi and the communities and groups wrapped around them, to ensure their experiences, ideas and aspirations inform our advocacy,’ she says.
Who is Dr Claire Achmad?
Dr Achmad, who was raised in West Auckland, is of New Zealand and Indonesian heritage. She has worked in a wide range of areas relating to children's rights, including from legal, policy and practice perspectives. She is the first Chief Children’s Commissioner after Judge Eivers to lead Mana Mokopuna – Children and Young People’s Commission. As the Chief Children’s Commissioner and Chair of Mana Mokopuna, she will lead a five-strong Board to govern the organistion, made up of Deputy Chair Donna Matahaere-Atariki, Ronelle Baker, Josiah Tualamali'i, and Dr Julie Wharewera-Mika.
‘I look forward to shining a light on the many incredible contributions mokopuna are making every day to our country, and to advocating for systemic change on some of the most pressing challenges affecting children’s lives, so they experience real, tangible progress.’
From Student to Commissioner
Dr Achmad is an alumna of Leiden Law School, having graduated in 2011 Master of Advanced Laws in Advanced Studies in Public International Law - Peace, Justice and Development specialisation, and successfully defended her doctorate through the Child Law Department in 2018, under the supervision of Professor Marielle Bruning and Dr Machteld Vonk. Claire’s thesis, Children’s Rights in International Commercial Surrogacy: Exploring the challenges from a child rights, public international human rights law perspective, was among the first to focus specifically on children’s rights in the global context of cross-border surrogacy.
Dr Achmad holds a Guest Lectureship with the Child Law Department, and has inspired Leiden law students from around the world through her lectures focusing on international children’s rights law issues, sharing direct insights from her practice in New Zealand and globally, including as a lawyer and children’s rights advocate.