Australia has appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The universal periodic review is a new process by which every nation is held to account by other countries for its human rights record.
For Australia's turn, 50 countries have made 120 recommendations. (List of Advance Questions PDF)
They've suggested Australia end its policy of mandatory detention and strengthen its anti-discrimination legislation, particularly in the area of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Australia's been praised for its national apology and its work on a national human rights framework, but has been urged to adopt a human rights act.
Australia will respond to these recommendations on Monday.
Comments
Water off a duck's back
This kind of UN attention is water off a duck's back for Australian governments of all stripes.
We're in practically every UN covenant and system and ignore practically all of them in the area of human rights.
And because our ugly side is seen practically nowhere outside our country - out of sight out of mind - few countries will come on board to rightfully criticise us.
However grossly unjustified that is, the outside world perceives us as the smiling, multicultural,fair-go-for-everybody country where human rights abuses are inconceivable.
Diet Simon
If rape is celibacy then celibacy is rape
The issue of sexual liberty is of crucial importance because there are so many who deny it. With surveillance of surfing habits and social networks getting worse, individuals experience an unprecedented degree of sexual volatility for governments to exploit, and this problem is not arranged along sharia lines. Sexual abuse by secret police would not be possible was it not based on a culture of asexual abuse aiming at character assassination and personality destruction. Datacrime based stalking, either in person or through media, creates a situation where every sexual or asexual orientation is wrong because it cannot get anywhere. A person targeted by this is facing the crazy choice either to refrain from developing their sexuality, and risk more trauma, or to accept abuse as normalcy, and risk more trauma. In this situation even the possibility of healing past abuse with the experience of self-determined reenactment is poisoned. How can it be possible to ever get over it when it is still going on?
The human rights problem is global
The issue of sexual liberty is of crucial importance because there are so many who deny it. With surveillance of surfing habits and social networks getting worse, individuals experience an unprecedented degree of sexual volatility for governments to exploit, and this problem is not arranged along sharia lines. Sexual abuse by secret police would not be possible was it not based on a culture of asexual abuse aiming at character assassination and personality destruction. Datacrime based stalking, either in person or through media, creates a situation where every sexual or asexual orientation is wrong because it cannot get anywhere. A person targeted by this is facing the crazy choice either to refrain from developing their sexuality, and risk more trauma, or to accept abuse as normalcy, and risk more trauma. In this situation even the possibility of healing past abuse with the experience of self-determined reenactment is poisoned. How can it be possible to ever get over it when it is still going on?
Australia hauled over the coals at UN human rights review
Hi All,
Here's a link to the recommendations resulting from Australia being
hauled over the coals in the UN during the 'Universal Periodic Review'
(UPR) a few days ago. Many of the recommendations refer to racism.
Regards, Barbary
http://www.hrlrc.org.au/files/Draft-report-on-UPR-of-Australia.doc