Submissions - Asia Pacific

Asia-Pacific: Brief to UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders (6 Sept 2010)

On 3 September 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, together with the International Service for Human Rights and the Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team, provided a Brief on the Pacific Region to Ms Margaret Sekaggya, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, in advance of her visit to Fiji scheduled for 6 [...]

Setting the Human Rights Agenda

Policy Brief on Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Australia’s Role and Responsibilities (28 June 2010)
As the Federal Government prepares its response to the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, ‘Human Rights and the Asia-Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges’, this policy brief on ‘Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Australia’s Role and Responsibilities’ [...]

Asia-Pacific: Centre Influences New Framework for ‘Australia’s Law and Justice Engagement with the Pacific’ (21 June 2010)

The Attorney-General and Minister for Foreign Affairs recently launched Australia’s Framework for Law and Justice in the Pacific.  The Framework is a high-level statement of priorities intended to guide Australia’s work in the Pacific law and justice sector. 
The Framework commits Australia to help Pacific countries strengthen the rule of law and protect human rights.  It [...]

Human Rights and Aid Effectiveness in Papua New Guinea (28 May 2010)

On 27 May 2010, the Centre sent a letter to the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, in relation to the current review of the PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Treaty. 
In its letter, the Centre recalled the recent recommendation of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade that AusAID ‘adopt a human rights-based approach to the planning [...]

Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Major Report on Australia’s Role in the Region (4 May 2010)

On 3 May 2010, the Australian Parliament’s Human Rights Sub-Committee published a much anticipated report on Australia’s role in promoting and protecting human rights in the Asia-Pacific region, entitled Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities. 
The Committee identified that the ‘Asia-Pacific is a diverse and complex region with a mosaic of human rights challenges’ [...]

Australia and Human Rights Leadership: Initiatives to Promote Human Rights at Home and Abroad (Dec 2009)

On 10 December 2009, the Centre released a paper entitled Human Rights Leadership: Initiatives to Promote Human Rights at Home and Abroad.  The paper, which was provided to the Federal Government in September, proposes 20 initiatives which Australia could take to strengthen a range of normative, preventative and remedial mechanisms to protect human rights at [...]

Asia-Pacific: Australia’s Role in Promoting Human Rights in the Pacific (Dec 2008)

In line with the Australian Government’s commitment to reclaim its ‘reputation as a leader in the international protection of human rights’, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, the Joint Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is conducting an inquiry on human rights mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific.  
The Centre has made a Submission on Australia’s Role [...]

Asia-Pacific: Australia-Indonesia Security Agreement (Feb 2007)

On 8 February 2007, the HRLRC made a submission to the inquiry by Federal Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Treaties into the recently signed security treaty with Indonesia.  Known as the ‘Lombok Treaty’ and tabled on 6 December 2006, the Treaty provides a framework for security cooperation between Australia and Indonesia, including provisions on defence, [...]