The Australian Government’s response to its fourth UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is extremely disappointing, says Amnesty International Australia, following the government’s response to the UN peer-review of Australia’s human rights record.
“The federal government has missed an important opportunity to strengthen human rights protections for people across Australia”, says Kyinzom Dhongdue, Strategy and Advocacy Manager at Amnesty International Australia.
In its response to the UN Human Rights Council, the Labor Government accepted just 128 of the 332 recommendations made by UN member states – just 38 per cent. This marks a significant decline from Australia’s previous review in 2021, when the Coalition Government accepted 51 per cent of recommendations.
In its submission to the UPR, Amnesty International Australia called on the Government to commit to introducing a national Human Rights Act, raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14, ending offshore detention of people seeking asylum, and halting approvals for new coal and gas projects and phasing out fossil fuels among other human rights priorities.
“By accepting less than half of the total recommendations, Australia has missed an important opportunity to deliver reforms that would make a real difference to people’s lives”
Kyinzom Dhongdue, Strategy and Advocacy Manager at Amnesty International Australia
Despite acknowledging that it “must do more” to address the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system, the Government rejected recommendations from 27 countries calling on Australia to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14.
It also failed to accept recommendations to introduce a national Human Rights Act, rejected calls to end offshore processing for people seeking asylum, and accepted only three of the 17 recommendations on stronger climate action.
“The Universal Periodic Review is an important opportunity for the Australian Government to match its words with action on human rights. But by accepting less than half of the total recommendations, Australia has missed an important opportunity to deliver reforms that would make a real difference to people’s lives”
“Acknowledging the problem is not the same as committing to the solutions. Australia continues to fall short of its obligations under international human rights law and continues to fail First Nations children, people seeking asylum, and vulnerable members of the community whose rights remain unprotected due to a lack of a Human Rights Act”, Kyinzom Dhongdue said.
“We urge the Australian Government to reconsider the recommendations it has rejected and work towards turning its human rights obligations into meaningful action.”
“The government has also failed to take much need action to protect people across Australia and the region from the devastating human rights impacts of climate change. We urge the Australian Government to reconsider the recommendations it has rejected and work towards turning its human rights obligations into meaningful action.”
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
Act now or learn more about our human rights work.
