Amnesty International announces first Pasifika chair

The new chair of Amnesty International's New Zealand board wants to lift the lid on issues affecting Pasifika and Māori.

RNZI reports Peter Fa'afiu is being celebrated as the first chair of Pasifika descent working for the human rights organisation.

He said that rather than focussing on his ethnicity he would like to get on with the job and make a difference.

"When you get appointed something you become the first Pasifika of something, and I can't wait 'till the day we don't have to say the first Pasifika, we can just say 'someone got appointed for their skill set'.

Mr Fa'afiu said human rights needed to become part of every day conversation in New Zealand and the Pacific region.