Amnesty International welcomes PM’s call for a coordinated global effort on refugees
10 July 2009, 03:26PM
Amnesty International Australia welcomes a call by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a coordinated global response to the issue of resettling refugees.
The organisation said it trusts that the Prime Minister’s remarks signal his intention for Australia to show global leadership on the growing problem of displaced people around the world.
The Prime Minister said in Rome on 9 July that there was a need for countries to share the burden of resettling refugees by developing a coordinated global plan, just as they were doing to address the financial crisis and climate change.
“Amnesty International urges the Prime Minister to follow through on his call for coordinated global action regarding asylum seekers and urges him to show leadership in finding durable solutions for the millions of people forced to flee their homes,” said Dr. Graham Thom, Refugee Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia.
Amnesty International urges the Government to emphasise adherence to international human rights and humanitarian obligations in the formulation of policy, whether global or national, relating to asylum seekers and refugees.
The most recent figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees indicate that more than 42 million people around the globe are currently displaced due to conflict and persecution, including 16 million refugees and over 26 million people displaced from their homes within the borders of their own countries. Of these, less than one per cent will be offered a permanent resettlement place this year.
“Australia currently resettles around 13,750 people each year through its offshore humanitarian program. While this number should not be discounted, it must be acknowledged that much more can and should be done to tackle this growing problem. As the Prime Minister himself points out, the advanced economies of the world have a particular responsibility in sharing this burden and achieving positive reform,” Graham Thom said.
In launching its annual report in May 2009, Amnesty International called for urgent action to address the world’s growing “human rights deficit”, saying that the global financial crisis could not be used by world leaders as an excuse to ignore widespread human rights abuses and injustice.
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Betty Linah Gigisi
10 July 2009, 05:31PM
Please give me all informations on the protest
Good luck
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