Leading concerns revolved around First Peoples’ rights
The Universal Periodic Review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council has flagged the need for Australia to implement a Human Rights Act.
Countries raised significant concerns regarding the rights of First Peoples in relation to inequality, racial discrimination and justice outcomes, according to Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) president Hugh de Kretser, who attended the review in Geneva.
“In particular many countries called on Australia to raise the age of criminal responsibility. In most Australian jurisdictions, children as young as 10 can be arrested, prosecuted and jailed. This is inhumane and remains out of step with international human rights standards. First Peoples are hit hardest by these unjust laws. The international community is calling us out on this”, de Kretser said.
Countries also urged Australia to enhance legal protections and tackle the issue of hate speech. Moreover, they highlighted concerns with the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, as well as disability rights.
In addition, countries called on Australia to address climate change as a matter of human rights given its impact on nearby Pacific nations.
“As a wealthy, stable democracy, Australia should be leading the world on human rights. This review highlighted many areas where we can and must do better,” de Kretser said. “A Human Rights Act is a missing part of our democracy. It would provide a stronger foundation for addressing many of the issues raised during this review”.
He described this Universal Periodic Review, Australia’s fourth, as “the most significant international review of Australia’s human rights record” and urged the government to accept and implement the recommended actions.
During this review, over 120 countries made about 350 recommendations for Australia. The current review also noted that since the last review conducted in 2021, Australia had progressed in the areas of gender equality and tackling violence against women and children.
