Universal Periodic Review of El Salvador, Statement by Australia, 20 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of El Salvador for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges El Salvador's efforts to improve security for its citizens and reduce crime. We encourage further work to improve the human rights of all El Salvadorians, including women, children and LGBTQIA+ persons.

Australia recommends El Salvador:

1. Strengthen protections and support services for victim-survivors of gender-based violence, including through the provision of adequate funding for protective programs and theSalvadoran Institute for the Development of Women.
2. Guarantee access to safe and legal abortion by decriminalising abortion in cases of sexual abuse, foetal abnormalities or when necessary to save the life of the mother.
3. Implement measures to ensure the prison system complies with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Universal Periodic Review of Italy, Statement by Australia, 20 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Italy for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges the challenges posed to Italy by significantly increased flows of irregular migration and commends Italy's ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, including through adoption of a National Action Plan against trafficking and serious exploitation of human beings.

Australia recommends Italy:

1. Establish an independent national human rights institution compliant with the Paris Principles.
2. Strengthen laws and improve government action plans and policies to address violence against women.
3. Extend existing legislation on hate speech and hate crimes to include protections for LGBTQIA+ persons.

Universal Periodic Review of Bolivia, Statement by Australia, 21 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Bolivia for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Bolivia's efforts to increase women's political participation and its progress toward equality for LGBTQIA+ persons, including recognition of civil unions for same-sex couples.

Australia is concerned by the erosion of judicial independence; the limited enforcement of laws aimed at protecting the rights of people in vulnerable situations, including Indigenous communities and women; and the continued prevalence of gender-based violence.

Australia recommends Bolivia:

1. Strengthen judicial independence and implement reforms to ensure fair and equal access to justice for people in vulnerable situations.
2. Strengthen gender-based violence protections by fully implementing Law No.348 protecting the human rights of women.
3. Ensure prior consultation with Indigenous communities on projects affecting their land and resources.

Universal Periodic Review of The Gambia, Statement by Australia, 21 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of The Gambia for their presentation.

Australia welcomes the recent vote by the National Assembly of The Gambia to uphold the ban on female genital mutilation. We congratulate the National Human Rights Commission of The Gambia for being accredited with A-status.

Australia is concerned by attempts to suppress media freedom in The Gambia, including through the arrest of journalists, and the slow progress in implementing the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission.

Australia recommends The Gambia:

1. Protect media freedom and uphold the right to freedom of expression, including by amending or repealing sections 51, 52, 59 and 181A of the Criminal Code.
2. Formally and permanently abolish the death penalty.
3. Repeal sections 144, 145 and 147 of the Criminal Code criminalising consensual same-sex relations.

Universal Periodic Review of Fiji, Statement by Australia, 22 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Fiji for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges the progress made by Fiji since its last review, including Fiji's repeal of the Media Industry Development Act, labour law amendments under the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill 2023, and ongoing efforts to strengthen policies to protect the rights of people with disability and to prevent violence against women and girls.

Australia recommends Fiji:

1. Implement fully the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls.
2. Strengthen the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission with a view to regaining full accreditation under the Paris Principles.
3. Protect workers from human rights abuses in the workplace, including addressing allegations of exploitation and strengthening measures to ensure safe and secure working environments for all workers.

Universal Periodic Review of San Marino, Statement by Australia, 22 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of San Marino for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges San Marino's strong human rights framework and welcomes progress on recommendations from its last review, including enactment of Law No.136 affirming the rights of persons with sensory disabilities and adoption of the 2030 Action Agenda to advance Accessible Tourism for all, including for persons with disability.

We also acknowledge San Marino's preparatory work to establish a Coordination Centre for Equal Opportunities and for Preventing and Combating Discrimination and Intolerance.

Australia recommends San Marino:

1. Establish an independent national human rights institution compliant with the Paris Principles.
2. Establish monitoring and reporting systems to prevent and combat bullying, including cyber bullying, and violence in schools.
3. Strengthen legal frameworks for LGBTQIA+ persons by developing a process to allow for legal gender recognition.

Universal Periodic Review of Angola, Statement by Australia, 23 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Angola for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Angola's decriminalisation of consensual same-sex relations and the introduction of sexual orientation protections in non-discrimination and hate speech clauses of the Penal Code.

Australia is concerned by reports of extrajudicial killings by Angolan security forces, forced evictions, and legislative restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.

Australia recommends Angola:

1. Protect the rights to freedoms of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly, including by ensuring domestic legal frameworks uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
2. Investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings by security forces and hold perpetrators to account.
3. Halt forced evictions or, where evictions occur, ensure they are in accordance with Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Universal Periodic Review of Kazakhstan, Statement by Australia. 23 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Kazakhstan for their presentation.

Australia welcomes measures taken by Kazakhstan since its last review, including abolition of the death penalty and adoption of the 2023 Human Rights Action Plan.

Australia is concerned by reports of torture, excessive use of force, and extra-judicial killings by security forces and law enforcement, as well as ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

Australia recommends Kazakhstan:

1. Conduct transparent and comprehensive investigations of human rights violations during the 2022 protests and prosecute those found responsible.
2. Ensure a zero-tolerance approach to torture, in accordance with 2023 amendments to Article 146 of the Criminal Code and obligations under the Convention against Torture.
3. Adopt legislation prohibiting discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Universal Periodic Review of Iran, Statement by Australia, 24 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Iran for their presentation.

While Australia acknowledges the participation of women and girls in formal education, we remain deeply concerned by ongoing and systematic violations of their rights.

Australia is alarmed by Iran's increased application of the death penalty.

Australia recommends Iran:

1. Immediately repeal all laws that violate the rights of women and girls to participate in public life and be treated with dignity.
2. Establish a formal moratorium on the death penalty and immediately ban the death penalty for minors.
3. Ensure fully transparent and comprehensive investigations of human rights violations during the 2022 protests and hold those found responsible to account.
4. Guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly in accordance with its obligations under the ICCPR.
5. Cooperate with UN human rights mechanisms and invite the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran to conduct a country visit.

Universal Periodic Review of Iraq, Statement by Australia, 27 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Iraq for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Iraq's passage of the Yazidi Survivors Law and encourages its full implementation.

Australia remains concerned by ongoing human rights violations in Iraq against women and girls, ethnic and religious minorities, and LGBTQIA+ persons, including the recent criminalisation of same-sex relationships.

We are concerned that amendments to Iraq's Personal Status Law could undermine the rights of women and children.

Australia recommends Iraq:

1. Establish a formal moratorium on the death penalty and seek alternative outcomes for those already sentenced to capital punishment.
2. Pass and implement legislation which prohibits all forms of gender-based violence and upholds its CEDAW obligations.
3. Repeal provisions in the Penal Code that allow for the defence of 'honour' as a mitigating circumstance for homicide.
4. Implement a domestic legal framework, aligned with international legal standards, for the prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Universal Periodic Review of Madagascar, Statement by Australia, 27 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Madagascar for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges Madagascar's adoption of anti-corruption strategies and laws to address gender-based violence.

Australia recommends Madagascar:

1. Ensure its national human rights institution has sufficient human and financial resources to carry out its legal mandate.
2. Provide training to law enforcement, judicial officers and community leaders in support of implementation of gender-based violence laws.
3. Uphold its obligations to peaceful assembly, including with respect to political parties, under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Universal Periodic Review of Egypt, Statement by Australia, 28 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Egypt for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Egypt's National Human Rights Strategy and urges its full implementation, including to ensure gender equality and the protection of women against all forms of violence and harmful practices.

Australia is concerned by reports of ongoing human rights violations in Egypt, including 
continuing political arrests.

Australia recommends Egypt:

1. Establish a formal moratorium on the death penalty and, in the meantime, reduce the number of crimes to which the death penalty applies and limit its application to only the most serious crimes as defined in the ICCPR.
2. Ensure all laws, court proceedings and pretrial detention practices comply with due process rights in the ICCPR and Articles 54 and 55 of the Constitution.
3. Release all persons detained for peacefully exercising their legitimate freedoms of opinion, expression and assembly, particularly those whose pretrial detention has exceeded legally prescribed limits.

Universal Periodic Review of Slovenia, Statement by Australia, 28 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Slovenia for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges Slovenia's efforts to champion gender equality domestically and internationally. We welcome progress on equality for LGBTQIA+ persons in Slovenia, including same-sex marriage legalisation and provision of full adoption rights.

Australia also recognises actions taken by Slovenia to remedy historical wrongdoings against 'erased' persons, or people who lived in Slovenia without citizenship following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Australia recommends Slovenia:

1. Eliminate all forms of segregation of Roma peoples, including through the provision of equal access to water, electricity, sanitation, education and housing.
2. Combat human trafficking by dedicating resources to improve victim identification and enhancing investigation and prosecution efforts against traffickers.
3. Improve access to healthcare services, particularly for older persons, women and other people in vulnerable situations, including by addressing workforce shortages in the sector.

Universal Periodic Review of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Statement by Australia, 29 January 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges Bosnia and Herzegovina's introduction of national action plans to promote and protect the rights of women, Roma and LGBTQIA+ persons.

Australia is concerned by Bosnia and Herzegovina's decline in global rankings on corruption, media and civil society freedoms.

Australia recommends Bosnia and Herzegovina:

1. Implement fully national action plans to address inequalities faced by women, Roma and LGBTQIA+ persons.
2. Introduce stricter sanctions for perpetrators of domestic violence and improve support services for victim-survivors of domestic violence.
3. Strengthen the capacity of public officials to effectively implement laws and policies relating to people with disability.