Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity: Action
The most up to date overview of human rights issues in Australia is "Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity: Action", the major NGO Report to the UN Human Rights Committee regarding Australia’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Report was contributed to by over 50 NGOs with specific human rights and subject matter expertise, and is supported in whole or in part, by over 200 NGOs, including Rights Australia. It is available in the "Facts and Statistics" section, or at the Human Rights Law Resource Centre’s website.
Justice Kirby to deliver lecture
Rights Australia presents
The Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG
delivering
The inaugural John Marsden Lecture
Wednesday 15 October 2008, commencing at 6.30pm
The Ionic Room, Sydney Masonic Centre
66 Goulburn Street (corner Castlereagh St), Sydney
60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. Dr HV Evatt, Australia’s Minister for External Affairs in the Chifley Labor Government, was the President of the General Assembly and chaired the session at which the UDHR was passed. Australia was one of the eight States given responsibility for drafting the Declaration and so it was fitting that its Minister chaired the session that adopted it.
In 2008, the United Nations is observing a 60th anniversary year that will culminate with the anniversary itself on 10 December 2008. The High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on States to undertake their own programs of activities to mark the anniversary. The Rudd Labor Government could adopt a package of important human rights initiatives for Australia’s observance. This short paper proposes elements for that package.
Nation’s prisons face new scrutiny
On May 2, Attorney-General Robert McClelland and Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith announced that Australia had begun the process of becoming a party to the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture. This will allow both international and national scrutiny of our various systems of detention.
The announcement by McClelland and Smith received little media attention, even though it amounts to a significant step by Australia in enhancing human rights protections and represents a welcome reversal of the Howard government’s thumbing its nose at the prospect of international scrutiny of our detention facilities.
The practical impact of Australia becoming a party to the optional protocol is that those thousands of individuals who are detained in our prisons, youth training centres and detention centres will now have a greater opportunity to prevent being subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.Page 1 of 2
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