The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) prepared an assessment of the nation’s human rights for presentation to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council last week (22 January).
The AHRC said it was the third time Australia had appeared before the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a unique process which reviewed the human rights situations in all 193 UN member countries every four-and-a-half years.
“The UPR process allows the Australian community and Government to take stock of how well we are protecting and promoting the human rights of all people in Australia,” the AHRC said.
“As the nation’s national human rights institution, the Australian Human Rights Commission provided a detailed assessment of the country’s human rights concerns,” it said.
In preparing its assessment the Commission acknowledged the positive steps taken by the Australian Government since the 2nd UPR.
“We welcome the passing of legislation to amend the Marriage Act 1962 (Cth) to allow same-sex couples and people with diverse sex and gender to marry,” it said.
“We also welcomed Australia’s ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), which allows places of detention to be inspected by independent monitors, to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
It said it also commended Australia’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic which had, overall, been successful.
The AHRC said that despite the improvements since the 2nd UPR there were still significant concerns on specific issues, including Indigenous incarceration; the age of criminal responsibility; the impact of gender inequality; discrimination against older Australians; detention, employment and treatment of people with disability; and the treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
“The Commission is also concerned about Australia’s inadequate legal framework for implementing human rights obligations and monitoring progress,” the AHRC said.
The AHRC’s assessment can be accessed at this PS News link.
