AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ, United
Kingdom
News Service: 054 /99
AI Index: ASA 12/03/99
19 March 1999
Australia: government's dismissal of UN criticism undermines
hard-earned credibility in human rights diplomacy
The Australian government's inappropriate attitude to United Nations
criticism on its "racially discriminatory" practices puts at stake
the credibility of Australia's human rights diplomacy, Amnesty
International said today.
"How can Australia play a credible role in responding to UN efforts
on human rights protection in Indonesia, East Timor or elsewhere, if
it fails to consider seriously the findings of the UN's oldest and
most experienced specialist committee on human rights?"
The Australian government has refused to take any action in response
to yesterday's decision by the UN Committee on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination to keep Australia on its urgent action
agenda. The committee recommended a review of Australian laws on
Aboriginal land rights and moves to abolish all specialist Australian
Human Rights Commissioners.
While Amnesty International takes no position on the UN committee's
findings on "Australia's racially discriminatory land [rights]
practices", the organization is concerned about the government's
reported claim that the findings 'discredit' the UN human rights
committee system.
"Like any other government, Prime Minister John Howard's
administration must accept the scrutiny of its human rights record by
UN mechanisms which were established and promoted through decades of
commendable Australian diplomacy."
"The sweeping dismissal of the committee's findings is regrettably in
line with the government's previous negative responses to UN
recommendations on Australia's human rights practices. This dangerous
trend risks undermining international efforts to allow specialist UN
human rights scrutiny in Australia's Asian neighbourhood."
The government reaction to the Geneva findings -- describing them as
?an insult to Australia' -- could damage Australia's hard-earned
reputation on the international human rights stage.
"Yesterday's findings should lead to a careful examination of all the
committee's past and present comments on race discrimination in
Australia, and on the national Human Rights Commission," Amnesty
International said.
"Legislation currently before parliament to restructure Australia's
national Human Rights Commission and abolish specialist commissioners
should be urgently reconsidered -- as recommended by the UN
committee."
Background
The committee's decision of 18 March 1999 -- made under its early
warning procedures -- calls on the Australian government "to address
as a matter of utmost urgency" the committee's concerns about
"proposed changes to the overall structure" of Australia's Human
Rights Commission, and about specific provisions under the newly-
amended Native Title Act 1993 "that discriminate against
indigenous title-holders".
ENDS.../
For more information, to arrange an interview, please call:
Amnesty International - International Secretariat Press Office: (+44)
171 413 5729 / 5566
Amnesty International Australia Press Office (+61) (2) 9217-7640 or 0411
140
077.
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Kingdom
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