UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE: GENERAL DISCUSSION: HUMAN RIGHTS
Statement by H.E James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
3 October 2025
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.
Australia is gravely concerned by the ongoing abuses and violations of human rights occurring globally.
This includes reports of egregious human rights violations and abuses in Myanmar, including the military regime’s ongoing attacks against civilians. We reiterate our calls for the immediate cessation of violence, the release of those unjustly detained, and safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
For more than three years, Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, has demonstrated Russia’s contempt for human rights. We call on Russia to comply with its obligations under international law, including with respect to prisoners of war and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, and to immediately end its war against Ukraine.
Israel’s illegal settlements severely impact the human rights of Palestinians and undermine prospects for a two-state solution. The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable – we again call on all parties to comply with international law.
Australia remains unequivocal in its condemnation of Hamas for the atrocities of October 7 2023 and its ongoing acts of terror against Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The dire human rights crisis in Afghanistan – in particular the institutionalised discrimination and oppression of women and girls is alarming. The world must not look away as we witness the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life by the Taliban.
This is why Australia, together with partners, has commenced international action against Afghanistan for violations of CEDAW. We call on the Taliban to reverse its egregious edicts and practices restricting the human rights of women and girls and comply with Afghanistan’s obligations under international law.
Iran continues to display contempt for human rights through the persecution of women and girls, detention of activists, oppression of minorities and ongoing repression following the 2022 protests and intimidation of political opponents abroad.
We have seen no progress since the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights determined in 2014 that the DPRK committed systematic and widespread human rights violations, amounting to crimes against humanity. Without sustained international pressure and accountability, these grave abuses risk becoming normalised and invisible on the global agenda.
In Syria, there is ongoing violence against innocent civilians. We urge all parties to prioritise dialogue and to protect all Syrians.
We are horrified by ongoing reports of gross violations and abuses of human rights and international law by all parties to the conflict of Sudan.
We continue to see reports of enduring violations and abuses of human rights—including sexual and gender based violence—in conflict zones such as Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Haiti.
And we remain gravely concerned by ongoing human rights violations against Uyghurs and Tibetans. Consistent with international law and norms, governments should not interfere in the selection of religious leaders – including the Dalai Lama.
The consequences of the National Security Law in Hong Kong on rights and freedoms, including to target democracy advocates extraterritorially is deeply concerning.
Chair, no country has a perfect human rights record. While our political systems, economies and cultures may differ, it is essential to recall that no country is above fair scrutiny of its human rights obligations.
But we cannot ignore that today’s human rights challenges are exacerbated by existing and emerging threats that our world is currently facing.
Climate change is more than an environmental challenge, it is an existential threat.
In our region, the climate crisis is eroding human rights, especially in the Pacific, and the most vulnerable are bearing the brunt. We will continue to work with the international community to drive collective action to shape global responses to climate change.
New and emerging technologies, including AI pose opportunities and risks – with autocracies deploying new technology to undermine our trust in democracy, institutions and each other.
Longstanding human rights norms and principles are being challenged and undermined.
As we mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the human rights of women and girls are under threat including by repressive regimes in Afghanistan, Iran and DPRK, who grossly deprive women and girls of their human rights.
The escalating attempts to reverse global progress on gender equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights is disturbing.
In many parts of the world LGBTQIA+ people continue to face heightened rates of violence, discrimination and persecution, including with offences punishable by death. Australia will continue to advocate for the global abolition of the death penalty for everyone and in all circumstances.
We must uphold Indigenous Peoples' rights globally, ensuring their participation in matters affecting them. Their leadership is vital in tackling global challenges like climate change and achieving the goals of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We unequivocally condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, prejudice hatred or discrimination of any kind in our country and globally.
This is why as part of our ongoing efforts to improve social cohesion in Australia, including fostering inter-faith dialogue, our Special Envoys to Combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia launched their recommendations in the presence of the Prime Minister.
Civic space is shrinking, freedoms are being eroded and transnational repression is growing.
We are alarmed by growing restrictions on independent civil society actors and human rights defenders, such as the misuse of laws to criminalise their activities and repress dissent, including in Russia, China, Myanmar, Belarus, DPRK, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Georgia.
And we are concerned by persistent challenges to the achievement of economic, social and cultural rights under the guise of national sovereignty.
While Australia recognizes the significance of national and regional particularities, we emphasise that all States have a duty to promote and protect all human rights, and that such human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
Amid these new frontiers, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains our guiding compass. Its principles – universality, indivisibility, non-discrimination – are timeless.
While eighty years is a significant milestone, the true value of the United Nations is not counted in decades, it is measured in deeds.
In actions that make a positive difference to people’s lives such as delivering food to villages in the grip of famine or liberating children from exploitation or abuse.
The principles on which the United Nations was founded still hold meaning and hope for the people who need them most.
But we also need to work together to ensure the United Nations can continue to serve us all in the future.
We welcome the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 reform initiative – an opportunity to enhance UN efficiency and effectiveness and ensure the UN system focuses on what it does best.
And in seeking solutions we must have human rights at the front and centre.
In the face of these enormous challenges, all is not lost.
Australia reiterates our commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which helps ensure that human rights are at the centre of our efforts to address other global challenges, such as climate change, poverty and global health.
We all have a part to play - and Australia, just as we always have - will always seek to play our part, to deliver the ambitions of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.
Thank you.