Statement delivered by Mr Guy O’Brien, Advisor, Australian Mission to the UN, in explanation of vote on the report of the Human Rights Council
16 November 2007
(As delivered)
Australia considers the Council’s institution-building package to be unbalanced, and wishes to register its concerns in this forum. While Australia acknowledges that there are positive elements in the package, we are concerned about the last minute removal from the package of the Belarus and Cuba country mandates, both of which clearly warrant continued scrutiny by the Council. Furthermore, the inclusion of a separate standing item focusing exclusively on the ‘human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories’ institutionalises an excessive focus on one region alone, to the detriment of other pressing situations which warrant serious attention. Australia’s longstanding view is that the singling out of one side only for blame in a complex situation is unhelpful and will do nothing to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. For these reasons, Australia will vote no.
In addition, Australia would like to register its concerns about the highly unorthodox and incorrect procedure used to finalise the institution-building package on 18 and 19 June this year, which risks setting a dangerous precedent for the future functioning of this important body.
The Human Rights Council must demonstrate that it can consistently and effectively respond to urgent human rights situations around the world, rather than focus excessively on any one region. This institution must advance the cause of human rights internationally, and should not be a politicised body. Needless to say, we need and expect to see improvements.