ACART is an independent committee that advises the Minister of Health on policy and guidelines for human reproductive research and human assisted reproductive technology. ACART works closely with the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproduction Technology (ECART).

ACART has the following functions:

• To issue guidelines and advice on assisted reproductive procedures and human reproductive research to the Ethics Committee established under section 27 of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (HART) Act 2004.
• To provide the Minister with specific advice on assisted reproductive procedures and human reproductive research
• To liaise with the Ethics Committee
• To consult with persons who can assist the Committee
• Any other functions the Minister assigns by written notice.

To assist in carrying out these functions, the Committee is required to monitor research developments and outcomes of reproductive procedures.

The specific advice the Committee is required to provide to the Minister is information, advice, and if, appropriate, recommendations on:

• Human reproductive research, including: cloned embryos; donations of human embryos; genetic modifications of human gametes and human embryos; human gametes derived from foetuses or deceased persons; hybrid embryos; requirements for informed consent; and the import into, or export from, New Zealand of in vitro human gametes or in vitro human embryos.
• Human assisted reproductive technology, including: donations of embryos; embryo splitting; gametes derived from deceased persons; requirements for informed consent; selection of embryos using pre-implantation genetic analysis; and the import into, or export from, New Zealand of in vitro donated cells or in vitro donated embryos.

ACART has a statutory responsibility to consult with the public before issuing significant advice to the Minister of Health or guidelines to ECART.

ACART was established under section 32 of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (HART) Act 2004. ACART works closely with the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproduction Technology (ECART), which reviews applications for human reproductive research and assisted reproductive procedures. These two committees replaced the National Ethics Committee on Assisted Human Reproduction (NECAHR) in 2004.