MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Gallus
On the 55th Human Rights Day, the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary
Secretary, Mrs Chris Gallus, announced initiatives to further promote and
protect human rights in the Asia-Pacific region.
'Australia will commit $1.5 million over three years to support the Asia
Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, building on the $2.3
million provided to the forum since its establishment in 1996,' Mrs Gallus
said.
The Parliamentary Secretary also announced the recipients of the 2003-04
Human Rights Small Grants Scheme that supports regional organisations in
promoting and protecting human rights.
'Judges, lawyers, police, community leaders and other citizens in Bangladesh,
Laos, India and Sri Lanka will receive Australian support for human rights
training activities,' Mrs Gallus said.
'Australia will also fund human rights monitoring of the legal and judicial
system in East Timor, and activities to protect the rights of women and children
in the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Vietnam.
Australia is active in promoting human rights internationally and began
serving a three-year term on the UN's Commission on Human Rights in 2003.
'As Vice-President of the Commission, we have worked to ensure that the
Commission can make a practical difference to the lives of people around the
world,' Mrs Gallus said.
'This year in our own region, Australia held human rights' dialogues with
China and Vietnam that reinforced our view that government cooperation is
essential in making a real impact to the lives of individuals.
'For the first time ever, our dialogue with China involved a visit by the
Australian delegation to Tibet to examine the human rights situation.
'Another first this year, was a visit to Australia by a Vietnamese delegation
for a dialogue on human rights.
'Australia helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and
is now working to make international human rights mechanisms more effective.
'Since the Australian Government launched its treaty body reform initiative,
the need for reform of the human rights system has been taken up as a priority
in the United Nations,' Mrs Gallus said.
Media contacts:
Shane Fairlie (Office of Mrs Gallus) 06 6277 4840 or 0408 680 442
Jo Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 or 0412 804 489