Humanitarian and Civil Society (HPD)

The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) activations on Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) in the Horn of Africa in 2023-2024 worked to address high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition and acute water stress as well as associated public health risks, gender-based violence and protection risks from prolonged drought, flooding, conflict and displacement.

Strengthening crime prevention and criminal justice responses requires strong cooperation between countries and has a long and proud history of consensus in the UN. We are pleased to see this tradition of consensus upheld in this resolution. In particular, we are pleased to see consensus on retaining the use of the term ‘cybercrime’ in this resolution.

This important resolution once again reaffirms that persons with disabilities are entitled to the same human rights as those without disabilities, without any discrimination, and we commend its consensual adoption.

Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions are an appalling violation of the right to life. This resolution contains a list of persons vulnerable to this egregious act, including, inter alia, persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, internally displaced persons, persons living under foreign occupation, migrants, Indigenous Peoples, and those targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Our countries share a strong commitment to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples, at home and internationally. At the same time, we recognize that implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in our countries remains a work in progress with much work left to be done.

Australia reiterates its steadfast commitment to the global fight against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, in all its forms. Again, we reiterate that hateful and divisive rhetoric has no place in Australia or anywhere in the world, online or offline.

We do not support the proposition that Israel is the only country that is a permanent item on the HRC agenda, which is why Australia does not and will not engage in Item 7 of the Council’s debate and why we retain our fundamental concerns about the nature of the Commission of Inquiry.

The Australian Government has launched a landmark new Humanitarian Policy to set the long-term direction and focus for Australia’s humanitarian action to ensure it saves lives, alleviates human suffering, and builds resilient communities.

Australia’s Humanitarian Policy outlines how Australia will harness its resources and expertise to better prepare for and respond to humanitarian crises, now and into the future.

DFAT will soon go to market for a contractor to carry out MEL tasks and provide technical advice to support the delivery of effective humanitarian assistance (up to $2m over four years).