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International Submissions
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, has concluded her country visit to Australia. Ms Ezeilo conducted her official visit from 17 to 30 November to examine the situation of trafficked individuals and anti-trafficking measures in the country. Ms Ezeilo is an independent expert mandated by [...]
Australia is scheduled to be reviewed by the UN Committee against Torture for its compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2012-13. This page contains a summary of the HRLC’s key activities and developments in relation to this review. HRLC outlines further issues for Australia [...]
The UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially in women and children, is scheduled to undertake a country mission to Australia in November 2011. In preparation for that mission, and at the request of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Law Centre and Anti-Slavery Australia prepared a [...]
A coalition of leading human rights NGOs, coordinated by the Human Rights Law Centre, the Mental Disability Advocacy Center and the Open Society Justice Initiative, has prepared a major statement for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on strengthening access to remedies for violations of international human rights. The Joint NGO [...]
On 20 October 2011, a coalition of leading human rights NGOs, including the Human Rights Law Centre, Human Rights Watch and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, sent an Open Letter to the Commonwealth Heads of Government [PDF] regarding the need to take urgent action on human rights in Sri Lanka at the forthcoming meeting of [...]
On 27 August 2010 the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Committee) adopted its Concluding Observations on Australia. The Committee asked Australia to follow up within 12 months with detailed information on three of the recommendations, concerning: the role and functions of the Race Discrimination Commissioner and the powers of the Australian Human [...]
A coalition of leading international and domestic NGOs has presented a major paper to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on strengthening the UN human rights treaty bodies. The Pretoria Statement – which was prepared by NGOs including Amnesty International, the International Service for Human Rights, the Centre for Human Rights (South [...]
On 31 May 2011, the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and Foreign Debt tabled a report on his February 2011 country mission to Australia in the UN Human Rights Council. The mission focused on the human rights impacts and implications of Australia’s aid, development, trade and investment policies. The report contains 10 concrete recommendations for [...]
On 30 May 2011, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, delivered her report on the global state of human rights to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The report deals with a wide range of international human rights issues, including Australia’s policy of mandatory immigration detention and the ongoing issue of [...]
Australia’s human rights record was scrutinised by the UN Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review Process in January 2011. During that review, a significant number of countries asked questions and made recommendations about Australia’s immigration policies and the practice of mandatory detention. Australia gave a preliminary oral response to those questions during the [...]
The United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary General on Business and Human Rights is currently consulting on draft Guiding Principles that seek to implement the Special Representative’s ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework. The HRLRC has provided the Special Representative with a Submission in relation to the draft Guiding Principles. In short, the HRLRC supports [...]
In December 2010, the UN Committee against Torture issued a ‘List of Issues Prior to Reporting’ for Australia. The purpose of this List is to outline those issues which the Committee would like Australia to address and respond to in its next periodic report to the Committee, due in 2012. The issues on which the [...]
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is drafting a general comment on the right to sexual and reproductive health and has invited organisations to submit written contributions on this issue. On 8 November 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a Submission to UN CESCR on the Right to Sexual and Reproductive [...]
The work, functioning and status of the UN Human Rights Council will be reviewed in 2011. An open-ended working group established by the Council to discuss this review is scheduled for 25 to 29 October 2010. On 20 October 2010, the HRLRC made a Submission to the Working Group on the Review of the UN Human Council [...]
The work, functioning and status of the UN Human Rights Council will be reviewed in 2011. An open-ended working group established by the Council to discuss this review is scheduled for 25 to 29 October 2010. Coincidentally, Australia will participate in the Council’s Universal Periodic Review process from early- to mid-2011. Both the Council review and [...]
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has released its Concluding Observations following a review of Australia’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Committee comments on a number of positive developments in Australia and welcomes the enactment of the Paid Parental [...]
In August 2010, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reviewed Australia’s compliance with its international legal obligations to respect, protect and promote the human right to equality and freedom from racial discrimination. An NGO coalition, comprising the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and the Foundation [...]
On 24 August 2010, the Centre provided a Submission to the UN Committee against Torture setting out a number of issues which we consider the Committee should include in its List of Issues for Australia Prior to Reporting in respect of Australia’s compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or [...]
On 3 August 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre provided an oral briefing and short Briefing Paper to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination regarding the enhancement of NGO engagement with UN human rights treaty bodies and strategies to promote the use and implementation of treaty body recommendations on the ground.
Australia is to be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review process in January 2011. A coalition of 68 NGOs - coordinated by the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, Kingsford Legal Centre and the National Association of Community Legal Centres - has submitted a 5 page Report to the UN Human Rights Council [...]
Australia is scheduled to be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in relation to its compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Geneva in August 2010. In July 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, together with the National Association of Community [...]
On 2 April 2009, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted Concluding Observations in respect of Australia’s compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. On 6 July 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a Follow-Up Submission on Implementation of the Human Rights Committee’s Concluding Observations on Australia. The submission [...]
Australia is to be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review process in January 2011. A coalition of NGOs has prepared a 5 page report on human rights in Australia, setting out key issues and concrete recommendations. The principal authors of the report are the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, [...]
The Endorsement Draft of the NGO Shadow Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is now available. The report has been prepared over the last 5 months in consultation with a broad range of community organisations and NGOs in Australia and we hope that it will also be supported by even wider [...]
On 28 May 2010, the Centre made a Submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding implementation of the 2009 Concluding Observations on Australia by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Centre’s submission outlines practical steps and measures, including legislative, administrative and financial measures, for the Australian Government to improve [...]
The Samoan Government has appointed a Commission of Inquiry into the working of Article 11 of the Samoan Constitution, which protects the right to freedom of religion. As it is currently drafted, Article 11 provides that every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and that laws restricting this right are [...]
On 21 August 2009, the Centre made a short Submission to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for its consideration in the drafting of a General Recommendation on the issue of ‘special measures’, as provided in articles 1(4) and 2(2) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial [...]
The UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights will review Australia’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva on 5 and 6 May 2009. On 4 May 2009, a non-government delegation, comprising representatives from the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Kingsford Legal Centre, will brief [...]
The UN Human Rights Committee will review the state of human rights in Australia in March 2009 in New York. On 16 and 23 March, the Committee will be briefed by a coalition of leading Australian human rights organisations, including the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Amnesty International. [...]
In late 2008, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called for submissions on its draft General Comment 20 on Non-Discrimination. The draft General Comment examines the various obligations contained in article 2(2) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It also analyses the prohibited grounds of discrimination and makes [...]
During its 92nd and 93rd sessions held in March and July 2008 respectively, the Human Rights Committee initiated the drafting of a new General Comment on States parties’ obligations under the first Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee has sought comments on the Draft General Comment from interested [...]
On 16 May 2008, the Committee against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment issued its Concluding Observations on Australia. The Concluding Observations included 27 recommendations concerning Australia’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Australian Government has called for [...]
In September 2008, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, together with the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Kingsford Legal Centre, submitted a major NGO report to the Human Rights Committee regarding Australia. The report, Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity: Action – NGO Submission to the Human Rights Committee [PDF] [Word], was compiled with the assistance of substantial [...]
The UN Committee Against Torture has issued its Concluding Observations on Australia following a review of Australia’s compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment at its 40th Session in Geneva in May 2008. The Human Rights Law Resource Centre prepared a major Report on Australia’s Compliance with the Convention against Torture [...]
On 23 November 2007, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment 19 on the Right to Social Security under article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. A General Comment is an authoritative statement by a treaty body of the content and application of a particular [...]
On 24 August 2007, the Centre made a Submission to the UN Committee against Torture in response to Draft General Comment No 2. The Draft General Comment is of significant importance to the normative development of international human rights law. Although the prohibition against torture is a non-derogable human right and a peremptory norm of [...]
On 21 August 2007, the UN Human Rights Committee released General Comment No 32 on the right to equality before courts and tribunals and to a fair trial under art 14 of the ICCPR. General Comment No 32 will be an important source of guidance on the interpretation and application of s 24 of the [...]
On 25 July 2007, the Australian Government submitted a report to the United Nations on the performance of its human rights obligations under the two major international human rights treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. A coalition of human rights organisations and community groups, [...]
Report to and Request for Action from UN Special Rapporteurs From 31 July to 16 August 2006, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing conducted an official country visit to Australia. In his Preliminary Observations regarding implementation of the right to adequate housing, the Special Rapporteur noted that there is a ‘serious, [...]
On 30 November 2006, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, on behalf of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Legal Services Network, the Castan Centre for Human Rights, the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research and Action, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the National Association of Community Legal Centres Human Rights Network, the North [...]
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