Universal Periodic Review of Kiribati, Statement by Australia, 28 April 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Kiribati for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Kiribati's efforts implementing the Family Peace Act to address domestic violence and safeguard survivors. This reflects a growing awareness of the need to address sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms.

Australia recommends Kiribati:

1. Establish a National Human Rights Institution to promote and protect human rights in accordance with the Paris Principles.
2. Update Kiribati's Penal Code to decriminalise all forms of consensual sexual relations between adults and to more effectively address sexual exploitation.
3. Strengthen the independence of the judiciary, including by ensuring that judges are free from external pressure in the performance of their duties.

Universal Periodic Review of Kyrgyzstan, Statement by Australia, 28 April 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Kyrgyzstan for their presentation.

Australia welcomes legislative amendments on gender-based violence introduced in 2024. 
  
Australia remains concerned by the deterioration of human rights in Kyrgyzstan characterised by increased suppression of dissent, erosion of press freedom, restrictions on NGOs, and discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and the LGBTQIA+ community.  

Australia recommends Kyrgyzstan: 

1. Strengthen implementation of legislative measures that prohibit discrimination, including on the grounds of ethnicity and sexual orientation and gender identity.
2. Ensure laws protect press freedom and freedom of opinion and expression and consider repealing the 'false information' law.
3. Ensure laws governing NGOs are consistent with international human rights obligations and consider repealing the 'foreign representatives' law.  

Universal Periodic Review of Guinea, Statement by Australia, 29 April 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Guinea for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Guinea's announcement of a Constitutional referendum on 21 September, as a step towards full restoration of democracy.

Australia remains concerned by threats to the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, including bans on protests, dissolution of political parties, and rescinded broadcasting licenses for media outlets.

Australia recommends Guinea:

1. Guarantee freedoms of expression and assembly for activists, journalists and political opponents, including by lifting the ban on protests and allowing political parties and media outlets to operate.
2. Fully enforce legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation and child marriage, including by ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.
3. Consistent with having abolished the death penalty, ratify the Second Optional Protocol for the ICCPR.

Universal Periodic Review of Laos, Statement by Australia. 29 April 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Laos for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Laos' increased engagement with UN human rights mechanisms, including accommodating a visit from the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights.

Australia also acknowledges that since 2020, Laos adopted 82 laws to align with international human rights obligations.

Australia recommends Laos:

1. Create conditions for free press and civil society to grow, including by amending relevant laws, such as Article 65 of the Criminal Code, to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.
2. Conduct independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all alleged cases of enforced disappearance.
3. Further reduce the number of crimes punishable by death, including drug offences, and work towards a formal moratorium and ultimately abolition of the death penalty

Universal Periodic Review of Lesotho, Statement by Australia, 30 April 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Lesotho for their presentation.

Australia acknowledges Lesotho's efforts to advance human rights, including the adoption of the Labour Act 2024 and preparation of a Bill of Amendment to the Human Rights Commission Act.

However, Australia is concerned that progress on these legislative reforms has been slow, and encourages Lesotho to expedite their passage and implementation.

Australia recommends Lesotho:

1. Abolish the death penalty and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Investigate and prosecute violations and abuses of the right to freedom of expression.
3. Finalise the establishment of a National Human Rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles.

Universal Periodic Review of Spain, Statement by Australia, 30 April 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Spain for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Spain's introduction of laws to address concerning rates of gender-based violence.

Australia commends Spain's strong support for the International Commission against the Death Penalty.

Australia recommends Spain:

1. Continue to implement measures to prevent all forms of gender-based violence, especially the high number of deaths of women, including at the hands of partners and former partners.
2. Develop a new National Anti-Trafficking Action Plan, legislate the proposed anti-trafficking law and introduce a National Referral Mechanism for potential trafficking victims.
3. Take all necessary measures to ensure minors receive adequate protection in migrant reception areas and throughout processing. 

Universal Periodic Review of Armenia, Statement by Australia, 1 May 2025

Thank you,

Australia thanks the delegation of Armenia for their presentation.

Australia welcomes the progress Armenia has made to protect human rights including efforts to strengthen domestic violence laws and media freedom.

Australia recommends the Republic of Armenia:

1. Amend the 2021 Civil Code to remove excessive fines for insult and defamation, which deter journalists from reporting freely.
2. Include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected grounds in the draft law 'On Ensuring Equality' and expedite ratification of the legislation so that LGBTQIA+ Armenians can benefit from these explicit legal protections.
3. Cease the use of excessive pre-trial detention and put in place mechanisms to limit its duration to a reasonable length of time.

Universal Periodic Review of Kenya, Statement by Australia, 1 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Kenya for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Kenya's efforts to build a political environment that can better protect and promote human rights and commends action taken on police reform and data protection.

Australia recommends Kenya:

1. Conduct independent investigations into reports of enforced disappearances, unlawful use of force and extra-judicial killings, and fully implement the National Coroner's Service Act and Prevention of Torture Act.
2. Implement legal and policy frameworks to address gender-based violence and discrimination, including technology-facilitated violence, electoral violence, femicide, and sexual harassment.
3. Combat stigmatisation, harassment, discrimination, and violence against individuals because of their sexual orientation, including by decriminalising consensual same-sex relations.
4. Abolish the death penalty.

Universal Periodic Review of Guinea-Bissau, Statement by Australia, 2 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Guinea-Bissau for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Guinea-Bissau's active engagement in UN human rights mechanisms, including with treaty bodies and the UPR.

However, Australia remains concerned by increased restrictions on civic space and a lack of progress towards ending sexual and gender-based violence.

Australia recommends Guinea-Bissau:

1. Accelerate efforts to establish an independent National Human Rights Institution in compliance with the Paris Principles.
2. Enhance access to justice for victim-survivors of all violence and abuse against women and girls, including through education campaigns that aim to reduce social stigma, training for the judiciary, and criminalisation of participation by medical professionals in acts of female genital mutilation.
3. Uphold rights to freedoms of expression, assembly and association, including by investigating alleged attacks on journalists and by allowing peaceful demonstrations to take place.

Universal Periodic Review of Grenada, Statement by Australia, 5 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Grenada for their presentation.

Australia welcomes steps taken through the Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan to promote gender equality, equity, social justice and sustainable development, but notes its expiry in 2024.

Australia remains concerned that Grenada retains the death penalty in law, and that same-sex relations remain criminalised.

Australia recommends Grenada:

1. Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with a view to abolition of the death penalty.
2. Repeal all provisions in national law that criminalise same-sex relations, including in the Criminal Code Act 1987.
3. Renew the Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan, incorporating a victims' rights policy to address gender-based violence.

Universal Periodic Review of Sweden, Statement by Australia, 5 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Sweden for their presentation.

Australia welcomes establishment of the Swedish Institute for Human Rights in 2022 and criminalisation of torture including outside Sweden.

Australia recommends Sweden:

1. Continue upholding the independence and mandate of the Swedish Institute for Human Rights and draw on its expertise to further Sweden's commitment to its human rights obligations.
2. Prioritise implementation of the 'National Strategy to Prevent and Combat Men's Violence Against Women' and the 'Free and safe without violence and oppression' action program.
3. Continue efforts to promote reconciliation and advance the economic, social and cultural rights and interests of the Sami people, including relating to land, language, education, participation in decision making, and the repatriation of Sami human remains to the Sami people.

Universal Periodic Review of Guyana, Statement by Australia, 6 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Guyana for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Guyana's commitment to protecting victims of gender-based violence through amendments to its Domestic Violence Act, extending protections to same-sex couples and cohabitating couples not legally married.

Australia welcomes Guyana's de facto moratorium on the death penalty. However, we remain concerned that Guyana continues to impose new death sentences.

Australia recommends Guyana:

1. Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at abolition of the death penalty.
2. Ensure the implementation of a National Human Rights Institution in compliance with the Paris Principles.
3. Ratify the Optional Protocol on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women.

Universal Periodic Review of Türkiye, Statement by Australia, 6 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Türkiye for their presentation.

Australia welcomes Türkiye's hosting of over three million refugees. Australia remains concerned by Türkiye's lack of progress on previous UPR recommendations.

Australia recommends the Republic of Türkiye:

1. Cease the excessive use of pre-trial detention and ensure all defendants are guaranteed due legal process including by an independent judiciary.
2. Amend vague legislation, including on 'anti-terrorism' and 'dissemination of untrue information', ensuring definitions of offences are sufficiently precise to prevent arbitrary detention.
3. Amend article 122 of its penal code to include gender identity and sexual orientation as 'hate motives' and protect all peoples' freedoms of opinion, expression, assembly and association.

Universal Periodic Review of Kuwait, Statement by Australia, 7 May 2025

Thank you.

Australia thanks the delegation of Kuwait their presentation.

Australia welcomes the abolition of Article 153 of the Penal Code regarding Honour Killings and notes Kuwait's progress on introducing legislation to prevent gender-based violence since its last review.

Australia recommends Kuwait:

1. Abolish the death penalty and seek alternative outcomes for those already sentenced to capital punishment.
2. Ensure equality in dignity and public rights for all citizens, respecting freedom of expression and judicial independence, and preventing arbitrary detention and discrimination.
3. Fully implement obligations under international law to prevent statelessness, with reference to the revocation of Kuwaiti nationality, and resolving the ongoing legal status of the Bidoon.