Human rights
Human Rights Mechanisms and the Asia-Pacific
- Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade's report: Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Challenges and opportunities
- Government Response to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s Human Rights Sub-Committee report: Human rights in the Asia-Pacific: Challenges and opportunities
Human Rights Council
The Australian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva represents Australia's interests in the Human Rights Council. The Council was created in March 2006 to replace the former Commission on Human Rights as the United Nations' pre-eminent human rights body.
Australia's national statement to the 13th regular session of the Human Rights Council, delivered 3 March 2010 [PDF 14 KB]
More information about the work of the Mission in Geneva
Australia's Universal Periodic Review
The Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years.
Australia will be reviewed during the tenth UPR session in early February 2011.
The Attorney-General's Department will coordinate the Australian Government's National Report ahead of Australia's appearance. More information, including on how to get involved, is available online from the Attorney-General's Department.
Australia's report under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Australia lodged its combined 15th, 16th and 17th reports under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD convention) with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in December 2009. The report covers Australia's compliance with its obligations under the CERD Convention for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2008.
Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
The Australian Mission to the United Nations in New York also works to advance Australia's human rights priorities, primarily through the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly.
More information about the work of the Mission in New York.
Reports to United Nations bodies
- Australia's 4th periodic report under the Convention Against Torture [PDF]
- Australia's combined Fourth and Fifth Reports on Implementing the United Nation's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women [PDF]
- Response of the Australian Government to the Request for Additional Information from the Sixty-Sixth Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination [PDF]
- Australia's combined Second and Third Reports under the convention on the Rights of the Child [PDF]
- Australia's Reports under the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
- Concluding observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on Australia's fourth periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
| Treaty | Last report lodged | Next report due | Last appearance before treaty committee | Next appearance before committee due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | 4th periodic report lodged on 7 April 2005. | 2012 | 4th periodic report considered by the Committee Against Torture 29-30 April 2008 at its 40th session. | Not yet scheduled. |
| ICCPR | 5th periodic report lodged on 25 July 2007. | Not yet scheduled. | 4th periodic report considered by the Human Rights Committee in July 2000 at its 69th session. | March 2009 |
| CEDAW | 4th and 5th periodic reports lodged on 29 January 2004. | Combined 6th and 7th periodic reports due in August 2008. | 4th and 5th periodic reports considered by the CEDAW Committee in January 2006 at its 34th session. | Not yet scheduled. |
| CERD | 13th and 14th periodic reports lodged on 28 November 2003. | 15th, 16th and 17th periodic reports due on 30 October 2008. | 13th and 14th periodic reports considered by the CERD Committee in March 2005 at its 66th session. | Not yet scheduled. |
| ICESCR | 4th report lodged on 25 July 2007. | Not yet scheduled. | 3rd periodic report considered by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in August 2000 at its 23rd session. | May 2009 |
| CRC | 2nd and 3rd periodic report lodged on 30 September 2003. | 15th January 2008. | 2nd and 3rd reports considered by the CRC Committee in September 2005 at its 40th session. | Not yet scheduled. |
Regional bodies
Human Rights Grants Scheme
The Human Rights Grants Scheme provides small grants to in-country organisations (primarily non-government) for activities aimed at promoting and protecting human rights in a direct and tangible way.
