Human Rights Council

The Australian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva represents Australia's interests in the Human Rights Council. The Council was created in March 2006 to replace the former Commission on Human Rights as the United Nations' pre-eminent human rights body and Australia has been an active participant as a non-member of the Council at all sessions.

Australia's latest statements to the Human Rights Council

Australia's Universal Periodic Review

The Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States once every four-to-five years.

Australia has completed 3 UPR cycles, with reviews in 2011, 2015 and 2021, and will undergo its fourth cycle review in 2026. Information on Australia’s UPR reviews is available from the Attorney-General's Department.

Social, Humanitarian Cultural Affairs Committee (Third Committee)

The Australian Mission to the United Nations in New York represents Australia’s interests in the United Nations General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee—commonly known as the Third Committee. Third Committee sits annually, in New York and is a key part of the UN's human rights architecture.

Australia's latest statements to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly