The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is calling for some major action on the Treaty of Waitangi, the gender and ethnic pay gap among other social issues.
It also wants the Government to progress ensuring the rights of disabled and indigenous people as well as working towards solving the housing crisis.
The commission's new "must-do" list comes as the National-led Government puts multiple policies by the former Labour administration on the chopping block, including the axing of the Māori Health Authority.
The coalition is also scrapping the Māori names of public sector organisations.
Below is the HRC's 'must-do list', created ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Treaty of Waitangi
"Te Tiriti o Waitangi is Aotearoa's original human rights declaration, incorporating universal human rights and Indigenous rights," the HRC said.
"Understanding and acknowledging the vision within te Tiriti for an Aotearoa where Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti live in partnership, taking care of each other, is the first step in building a more beautiful New Zealand.
The right to a decent home
New Zealand's housing crisis was disproportionately affecting young people, refugees and migrants, Māori, Pasifika, single parents, the elderly and disabled people, the HRC said.
As it stood, these groups were most likely to rate their housing as unaffordable and were "likely to have more trouble accessing a decent home", according to the commission.
Indigenous people's rights
"Aotearoa trails other democracies in realising Indigenous peoples' self-determination," the HRC said.
A few weeks ago, when the coalition was formed, the Government said it didn't recognise the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples "as having any binding legal effect here".
Rights of disabled people
The HRC said barriers for disabled people including accessibility and pay gaps needed to be removed.
"Disabled people in New Zealand have the same rights as everyone who lives in Aotearoa. We must ensure these equal rights play out in real life."
Gender and ethnic pay gap
"In Aotearoa, for every dollar a Pākehā man earns, a Pākehā woman earns $0.92," the HRC said.
It was worse even for Māori, Pacific, Asian and disabled women, according to the commission.
"The pay gap between Pasifika and non-Pasifika is particularly high, with Pasifika women earning only $0.82 cents for each dollar a Pākehā man earns."
Rainbow rights
"People with rainbow identities still struggle to have their basic rights realised, like the right to be safe and free from discrimination," said the commission.
Overall, the list was "just some of the key rights that the Government of the day must work toward protecting and promoting", acting chief Human Rights Commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo said.
"We want people to understand how we can help them and this includes through our dispute resolution service, addressing complaints of discrimination, sexual harassment, racial harassment and other human rights concerns," added HRC chief executive Meg de Ronde.
"Together we can look to the next 75 years and create a fairer, more inclusive Aotearoa - one that lives up to its reputation as a paradise. #LetsGoThereTogether."
