UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE: GENERAL DISCUSSION: HUMAN RIGHTS
Statement delivered by H.E. Mr James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
22 October 2024
Thank you, Chair.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is grounded in a simple fact: human rights apply equally to all people, without distinction of any kind, no matter who you happen to be or where you happen to be born.
Human rights underpin peace and security, and are central to realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Yet human rights violations and selective approaches to the application of human rights continue.
Australia condemns the abuses and violation of human rights occurring globally including in Myanmar, Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Sudan, Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.
The backsliding on women’s and girls’ human rights is deeply concerning. In Afghanistan the situation is particularly dire.
We are witnessing the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls cannot attend secondary and higher education.
In Iran, the systemic persecution of women and girls continues. Authorities are violating the human rights of women and girls defying the mandatory hijab.
We reiterate our condemnation of Hamas, its abhorrent October 7 attacks and ongoing acts of terror.
We remain deeply concerned by Israel’s expansion of illegal settlements and condemn ongoing settler violence. We again call on Israel to hold perpetrators to account and cease settlement activity.
All civilians, and their human rights, must be protected.
Australia remains concerned with rising Antisemitism and Islamophobia in our country and globally. We are firmly committed to combatting hatred.
This is why at home, we have appointed a Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia and a Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, as part of our efforts to address the social impacts of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Australian communities.
While there has been progress, in many parts of the world, LGBTQIA+ people continue to face heightened rates of violence and discrimination for no other reason than simply being who they are.
The criminalisation of same sex relations with offences punishable by death in some countries is deeply concerning.
Australia will continue to advocate for the global abolition of the death penalty.
It is inhumane, irrevocable and irreversible, and disproportionately affects those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
Australia also remains deeply concerned about the detrimental effects of climate change on human rights, including the acute impacts on Pacific nations in our region. We know climate change and its consequences can exacerbate the risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
We remain committed to working with the international community to address the impacts of climate change on human rights.
Chair, no country has a perfect human rights record, and no country is above fair scrutiny of its human rights obligations.
And where we fall short, we ought be open to constructive feedback and strive to do better - accepting the message, not attacking the messenger.
While our political systems, economies and cultures may differ, it remains the responsibility of every UN Member State to uphold the vision of the UDHR to protect and promote the human rights of everyone, everywhere.
Thank you.