Newsletter date: 9 April 2015
Contents:
* Audio Interview: CAAMA: National Congress lobbying for first peoples human rights [Featuring Les Malezer]
* News Analysis: Human Rights Law Centre: Nearly 200 organisations outline concern for UN over Australia's declining human rights performance
* Submission: Australia's Human Rights Score Card: Australia's 2nd Universal Periodic Review: Joint NGO Submission on behalf of the Australian NGO Coalition
* News Analysis: Max Chalmers, New Matilda: Australia's Human Rights Community Has Dobbed Us In To The United Nations
* Background & Key Dates: HRLC: Universal Periodic Review of Australia
WGAR News Public Google Group: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en-GB#!forum/wgar-news
WGAR News - Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
- Audio Interview
CAAMA - Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: National Congress lobbying for first peoples human rights
http://caama.com.au/national-congress-lobbying-for-first-peoples-human-r...
2 Apr 15: " ... Up to 200 human rights organisations have formed a coalition coming together to submit a report on human rights in Australia, reporting back that Australia has not implemented the recommendations. In 2011, 150 recommendations were made to Australia with over one third revolving around the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Les Malezer a co-chair of the national congress of Australia's first peoples, believes many of the recommendations revolving around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have not been meet."
- News Analysis
Human Rights Law Centre: Nearly 200 organisations outline concern for UN over Australia's declining human rights performance
http://hrlc.org.au/nearly-200-organisations-outline-concern-for-un-over-...
1 Apr 15: " ... "Fifty-four recommendations from the 2011 Universal Periodic Review report directly related to the human rights of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples," said Les Malezer, Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples. "Australia accepted all but two of these recommendations-in full or in part but has not followed up in good faith. Seven recommendations proposed that Australia consult and cooperate with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples but consultation and collaboration is a glaring failure of government up to this time," added Mr Malezer. ... "
- Submission
Australia's Human Rights Score Card:
Australia's 2nd Universal Periodic Review: Joint NGO Submission on behalf of the Australian NGO Coalition
HRLC: http://hrlc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Final-UPR-NGO-Submission1.pdf
March 2015: "This Joint NGO Submission has been prepared by the Human Rights Law Centre, the Kingsford Legal Centre and the National Association of Community Legal Centres, with substantial contributions from a number of NGOs across Australia and is endorsed, in whole or in part, by 190 NGOs."
"The Human Rights Law Centre is a national specialist human rights legal service that protects and promotes human rights in Australia and beyond through a strategic mix of legal action, advocacy, research and capacity building. HRLC has NGO consultative status with ECOSOC."
"The Kingsford Legal Centre is a community legal centre in Sydney, which provides free advice and ongoing assistance to members of the community in relation to a number of areas of law, including discrimination law. Kingsford Legal Centre also undertakes law reform and community education work."
"The National Association of Community Legal Centres is the peak national body for over 200 community legal centres across Australia. NACLC has NGO consultative status with ECOSOC."
- News Analysis
New Matilda: Australia's Human Rights Community Has Dobbed Us In To The United Nations
https://newmatilda.com/2015/04/03/australias-human-rights-community-has-...
3 Apr 15: "Self praise is no recommendation, which suggests the Australian Government’s description of itself could lack some insight. Thankfully, almost 200 NGOs have helped correct the record. Max Chalmers reports. ... In a submission to the UN’s second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) the organisations highlighted a range of areas where Australia was failing to make progress or regressing, including asylum seeker rights, government consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, police related deaths, poverty and homelessness. ... " By Max Chalmers
At the bottom of this article, Max Chalmers of New Matilda, lists who signed up to the Joint NGO Submission
"Who Signed Up: The submission is endorsed, either in part or in whole, by organisations including: ... "
- Background & Key Dates
Human Rights Law Centre: Universal Periodic Review of Australia
http://hrlc.org.au/upr/
10 Oct 14: "Australia’s human rights record is scheduled to be reviewed under the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process in November 2015. ...
The key dates for Australia’s upcoming UPR are:
* 30 January 2015: draft sections of report due to Co-ordinating Committee
* 23 March 2015: NGO Report(s) Due
* 20 July 2015: Australian Government ‘National Report’ Due
* November 2015: Australia’s Appearance at the UN in Geneva
* January/February 2016: Adoption of the ‘Outcomes Report’"
- - -
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
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