ICCPR: NGO Reports for UN Human Rights Committee Review of Australia

The UN Human Rights Committee will review the state of human rights in Australia in March 2009 in New York. On 16 and 23 March, the Committee will be briefed by a coalition of leading Australian human rights organisations, including the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Amnesty International.  On 23 and 24 March, the Committee will receive submissions from a high-level delegation from the Australian Government.  It will release its report on Australia on or around 3 April.

The Human Rights Law Resource Centre, together with the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Kingsford Legal Centre, has submitted the following materials to the Human Rights Committee regarding Australia:

• Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity: Action - NGO Submission to the Human Rights Committee (September 2008) [PDF] [Word].  This major report was compiled with the assistance of substantial contributions from over 50 NGOs across Australia.  It is endorsed, in whole or in part, by over 200 NGOs.  The Executive Summary of the report has also been translated into French and Spanish.
• Freedom, Respect, Equality, Dignity: Action - Addendum to NGO Submission to the Human Rights Committee (March 2009) [PDF] [Word].  This addendum updates the Committee on major human rights developments between September 2008 and March 2009.

In addition, the coalition has prepared Fact Sheets on Australia's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the following areas:

• Legal Protection of Human Rights
• Counter-Terrorism Measures
• People with Disability and Mental Illness
• Homelessness
• Immigration Law, Policy and Practice
• Equality and Non-Discrimination
• Policing Practices
• Indigenous Australians
• Women's Rights
• Treatment of Prisoners and Prison Conditions
• Protection of Children
• Access to Justice
• Extra-territorial Application of the Covenant
• Climate Change and the Environment

The reports and fact sheets provide a comprehensive overview of, and make targeted recommendations regarding, the realisation of civil and political human rights in Australia.