International relations

Australia commends Samoa on its progress since its previous UPR appearance, notwithstanding significant disruptions caused by natural disasters, the 2019 measles outbreak and COVID-19.

Australia welcomes Greece’s continued efforts to improve its human rights framework including through ratification of the Istanbul Convention. Australia commends Greece on concrete steps made in respect of: LGBTI rights; gender equality; the rights of persons with a disability; controls on the armed forces and police; the status of Greece's Muslim minority in the Thrace region; and, combating anti-Semitism and hate speech.

Australia commends Suriname for taking steps towards amending the Military Penal Code to abolish the death penalty.  

Australia welcomes the actions taken on human rights by Papua New Guinea since its last UPR appearance. This includes efforts to address gender-based violence and progress critical legislation to improve women’s lives, and the passage of legislation in 2020 to establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption. Australia encourages Papua New Guinea to realise the rights to health and education by allocating sufficient resources to improve outcomes and by continuing to prioritise COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

The 39th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a United Nations process that considers the human rights record of each UN Member State. It is a mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council.

Australia is working with our Indo-Pacific partners to deliver on our joint commitment to scale up mitigation and ensure adaptation support in response to the shared challenge of climate change.

We support the stability, unity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia. We look forward to working with the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa and with the United Nations in efforts to cease hostilities, end impunity and support a lasting solution to issues of peace and security.

The Australian Government congratulates Professor Hilary Charlesworth AM FASSA on her election to the International Court of Justice.

Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs will visit Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia over the next week to advance our relationships with key partners, including to strengthen our shared work to promote the region’s economic and health recovery from COVID-19.