Updated 10.37am: Human rights researchers are promising not to let their report languish.

The report accuses New Zealand of falling behind in areas such as women's rights, child poverty and the ability of Maori and the disabled to challenge the state.

AUDIO: Full interview with Judy McGregor - "We don't walk the talk on human rights."

Co-author Judy McGregor wants parliamentarians in particular to take note of the report's list of failings - and step up.

That includes doing something for the 25% of kiwi kids living in poverty and the 40,000 aged care workers not receiving equal pay.

"We're New Zealand, which has been a lucky country and a good country in terms of human rights, and we need to take urgent remidial action so we continue to be the best in the world."

She says we've slumped from 5th to 13th in a global measure of women's rights.

We're also failing in areas such as domestic rights and equal pay.

"There's been blind faith that we're very good at human rights, and now serious fault lines are emerging. We need to acknowledge them and address them."