The Government's answering some tough questions from the United Nations on the rights of children in New Zealand.

Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley has led a New Zealand delegation to Geneva, reporting on whether the rights of the nation's children are being upheld.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has already spoken to New Zealand non-government organisations such as UNICEF, Action for Children, Youth Aotearoa and Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft before preparing questions for the minister.

Today the committee is speaking with government heads about the way their respective governments deal with the rights of children.

UNICEF New Zealand Executive Director Vivien Maidaborn is part of the New Zealand delegation and said they welcomed Minister Tolley’s attendance.

Ms Maidaborn said it was the fifth such review from the committee, but only the first time a minister had led the delegation.

She said Minister Tolley will be proud to show the committee how much action the government has taken to protect children's rights.

But she said child poverty in New Zealand has only ever worsened since the committee began the meetings 25 years ago.

Ms Maidaborn said ironically, the government's got the same problem many non-government agencies have; they keep talking about activities, but not outcomes.

She said to focus on outcomes is to focus on real goals and that's what needs to be done for any progress to be made.

She said that's one of the committee's main critiques over the last 25 years - since New Zealand has been involved in the meetings is that New Zealand doesn't have a plan with hard targets, it's too action-based and not result driven.

"Successive governments have never taken the recommendations seriously and set a core target on child poverty. They've never been tabled in parliament, they've never resulted in an integrated plan.

That's why we're really pleased the minister is here and she has good officials supporting her, so our hope is that out of all that commitment an integrated plan and priority on the recommendation from the committee will be possible."

UNICEF would like to see those core targets set over the next five years so the government's answerable to them at the next United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child meeting.

The UN's recommendations will be presented to parliament in the coming months.