MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Gallus
Australia will expand its human rights program in China this financial year -
including training programs to help combat trafficking in women and
children.
Programs will also target women's and children's rights, ethnic and minority
rights, legal reform and justice administration.
The Australia-China Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program (HRTC) will
get a total of $1.3 million for 2002-03.
This represents a 30 percent increase on last year, Parliamentary Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, Chris Gallus, said today.
'At the sixth round of the Australia-China human rights dialogue earlier this
month, the Chinese indicated the great value of the program,' she said.
'In particular, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) was
singled out for praise for the practical way it has contributed to human rights
progress in China.
'The Government welcomes China's recognition of the key role played by HREOC
in the Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program.'
Mrs Gallus said that additional activities for this year's program in China
would continue to build on earlier successes.
'For example, as part of a focussed program to expand and strengthen
understanding of human rights in China, the HRTC will be funding training and
workshops for officials and community level workers on practical methods to
combat trafficking in women and children,' she said.
Proposed legal reform and justice activities include training for Chinese
prison officers, design of a workshop/seminar by and for judges on rules of
evidence, and a training course on reasoned judgments for about 50 senior
Chinese judges.
Mrs Gallus said the success of the HRTC enabled the program to move into more
substantial activities that would be run over periods of up to three years.
Media Contacts:
Craig Bildstien (Mrs Gallus's office) 0407 604 437
Jo Elsom (AusAID) 6206 4960 / 0412 804 489