CSU human rights researcher condemns Government's UN policy

31 AUGUST 2000

Charles Sturt University human rights researcher and social justice lecturer Dr Sharon Pickering has criticised the Australian Government's decision to call for a complete review of the United Nations Treaty System.

Charles Sturt University human rights researcher and social justice lecturer Dr Sharon Pickering has criticised the Australian Government's decision to call for a complete review of the United Nations Treaty System.

The researcher from CSU's Centre for Cultural Research into Risk (CCRR), said the Government's decision not to ratify the UN's Optional Protocol on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and seek further interpretation of the Refugee Convention, also sends a confusing message to the rest of the world about Australia's commitment to human rights issues.

"It is concerning that while elements of the United Nations certainly need reform, the decision to downgrade our participation in the system in the meantime, severely compromises the integrity of the system and diminishes Australia's ability to make an affective contribution to effective reform."

"Comments by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer suggesting the UN system focus on serious human rights violations suggests that some human rights are more important than others. This should not be acceptable to the Australian people as it marginalises the human rights violations that occur in our own country."

"Issues such as mandatory sentencing, the detention of refugee children, the disproportionate death rates of Aboriginal men in custody and the experiences of women outworkers in backyard sweatshops, are all serious human rights concerns which the UN has brought to the attention of the Australian Government."

Dr Pickering said the Government's policy is deeply concerning for non-government human rights organisations who have begun mounting a national letter writing and media campaign to oppose the moves.

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