International relations

Today marks seven years since the Myanmar military’s violent attacks caused mass displacement of Rohingya communities.

Scammers pretending to be from the Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) are sending SMS seeking payments for invoices.

As we collectively endeavor towards achieving the SDGs, it is imperative to recognize that women and girls play an indispensable role in this pursuit.

I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of the 'Group of Friends of Accountability following the aggression against Ukraine’, a cross-regional group consisting of 47 States and the European Union.

We thank the  Fact-Finding Mission for carrying out their invaluable work to investigate the alleged human rights violations that took place after the tragic death in custody of Mahsa Jina Amini and subsequent nationwide protests.

The call for public submissions was open from 1 November to 15 December 2023. More than 90 written submissions were received as well as one set of video messages. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) undertook broad, inclusive, and accessible consultations to inform Australia's new International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy (IDEARS), comprising in-person and online discussions with around 400 stakeholders in Australia, the Indo-Pacific region and globally.

We believe that membership of the Human Rights Council should reflect the diversity of the UN as a whole, and that all countries, irrespective of their size, wealth or power should have an equal opportunity to serve as members of the Council.

We welcome the Government’s stated commitment, and urge the Government to swiftly establish a policy framework, based on the recommendations by the expert group, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the OHCHR.

We commend the efforts of the Government of the Philippines and various UN agencies under the UN Joint Programme for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Philippines between 2021 and 2024.