59th Session of the Commission on Human Rights statement by Dr Sev Ozdowski

59th Session
of the Commission on Human Rights, Geneva 14-17 April 2003

Item 18(b): National
Institutions and Regional Arrangements

Statement as
delivered by Dr Sev Ozdowski, Human Rights Commissioner, Australian Human
Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Madam Chair

In keeping with the
focus of this agenda item on effective functioning of human rights mechanisms
and national institutions I propose at the outset to briefly list some
of the key areas with which the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission has been involved over the past year. A more detailed account
of those activities will be circulated. So here is an overview:

The Australian Commission

• Continued programs
  of cooperation with national human rights institutions in our region,
  particularly in the context of the Asia Pacific Forum, and bilateral
  participation in human rights promotion and protection in the context
  of the Government's Human Rights Dialogues.
• We celebrated
  10 years operation of legislation to combat disability discrimination.
• We initiated projects
  to promote racial harmony within the community and to respond to racial
  vilification on the internet.
• We developed a
  proposal to the Government of a national scheme of paid maternity leave.
• We continued delivery
  of human rights educational programs to key segments of the community.

And, last but not
least

• We assisted the
  courts in cases involving issues of human rights.

Madam Chair, now
I propose, however, to use the brief time remaining to warn that there
is a state of clear and present danger confronting the foundations of
international human rights.

Whilst National Human
Rights Institutions have all undoubtedly been performing excellent work
over the past year in human rights terms I think we must acknowledge the
need to redouble our efforts and critically examine the delivery mechanisms
to confront the challenges that abound.

If we can't let our
communities see that human rights are more than worthy documents and agreements
but additionally form an integral part of their very daily existence then
I fear for the continuing effectiveness of our work.

I am not suggesting
that the carefully constructed human rights framework of the last 50 years
is now no longer valid, clearly that work must continue. But I do believe
that we must do more to bring that message into the hearts and minds of
our fellow citizens. We need strong focus on human rights education in
our communities.

In Australia the
Commission I represent is meeting this challenge in a variety of ways
but I will refer briefly to two examples that directly relate to my work:

• First the conduct
  of a human rights dialogue through the use of community based meetings
  to explore with Australians from all walks of life the meaning of human
  rights and its relevance to them.
• Second the undertaking
  of an Inquiry into immigration detention where a conscious decision
  was made to use children as the focus because of the ease with which
  the community could identify with that situation and the strength of
  the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I am sure that other
National Human Rights Institutions have also been undertaking valuable
work and I very much look forward to hearing from them about their work.

Thank you.