Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697630691557.pdf (Australia)
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia Human rights in the Asia-Pacific Challenges and opportunities Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade April 2010 Canberra © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN 978-0-642-79231-0 (Printed version) ISBN 978-0-642-79232-7 (HTML version) Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................ vii Membership of the Committee ............................................................................................................ ix Terms of reference .............................................................................................................................. xi List of abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... xii List of recommendations .................................................................................................................... xv 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 The inquiry ................................................................................................................................. 1 The Asia-Pacific region ............................................................................................................ 2 Structure of the report .............................................................................................................. 4 2 Human rights issues in the Asia-Pacific ............................................................. 5 Challenges facing the region ................................................................................................... 5 Geographical and resource constraints ....................................................................................... 5 Regional identity .......................................................................................................................... 7 Human rights concepts ............................................................................................................... 8 Issues raised ........................................................................................................................... 10 Thematic ................................................................................................................................... 11 Country specific ......................................................................................................................... 20 iv 3 International human rights mechanisms and the Asia-Pacific ....................... 31 United Nations human rights system .................................................................................... 31 United Nations human rights treaties and special procedures .................................................. 36 Human Rights Council .............................................................................................................. 43 The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee ........................................................ 49 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ......................................... 49 International criminal tribunals and special courts ..................................................................... 51 International Court of Justice ..................................................................................................... 52 The International Criminal Court ............................................................................................... 53 4 Regional and national human rights mechanisms and the Asia-Pacific ....... 55 Regional mechanisms ............................................................................................................ 55 Africa ......................................................................................................................................... 57 The Americas ............................................................................................................................ 59 Arab states ................................................................................................................................ 60 Europe ...................................................................................................................................... 62 The Asia-Pacific ........................................................................................................................ 63 National mechanisms ............................................................................................................. 81 Constitutional protections .......................................................................................................... 82 National Human Rights Institutions ........................................................................................... 84 5 Possible human rights approaches for the Asia-Pacific ................................. 93 Is a regional mechanism needed?
......................................................................................... 93 Committee comment ............................................................................................................... 96 Is a regional mechanism feasible?
........................................................................................ 97 Ongoing challenges .................................................................................................................. 97 An Asia-Pacific human rights mechanism ............................................................................... 105 Subregional human rights mechanisms .................................................................................. 107 Elements of a regional mechanism ......................................................................................... 116 Links to other policy areas ...................................................................................................... 120 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 122 v 6 Australia’s role .................................................................................................. 123 Australia and the Asia-Pacific .............................................................................................. 124 Bilateral human rights dialogues ............................................................................................. 125 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 129 Aid ........................................................................................................................................... 130 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 133 Supporting the development of regional mechanisms ............................................................. 134 Working on specific issues ...................................................................................................... 139 International mechanisms ....................................................................................................... 141 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 144 Other human rights initiatives .................................................................................................. 145 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 147 An Asia-Pacific community?
.................................................................................................... 147 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 148 7 Parliaments and human rights ......................................................................... 151 International approaches...................................................................................................... 153 Joint Committee on Human Rights, United Kingdom .............................................................. 153 Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, United States ......................................................... 154 Subcommittee on Human Rights, European Parliament ......................................................... 155 Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, Canada ........................................................ 156 Inter-Parliamentary Union ....................................................................................................... 156 Parliamentarians and the Asia-Pacific ................................................................................ 158 Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum ........................................................................................... 159 Other initiatives ..................................................................................................................... 161 Networks of parliamentarians .................................................................................................. 161 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus ........................................................................ 161 Improving scrutiny of human rights in Australia ............................................................... 162 Committee comment ............................................................................................................. 165 Appendix A – List of Submissions ......................................................................... 167 Appendix B – List of Exhibits .................................................................................. 169 vi Appendix C – List of Hearings and Witnesses ...................................................... 173 Sydney .................................................................................................................................... 173 Canberra ................................................................................................................................. 174 Canberra ................................................................................................................................. 174 Melbourne ............................................................................................................................... 175 Canberra ................................................................................................................................. 176 Foreword This Report is the Human Rights Sub-Committee’s response to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith’s invitation on 3 September 2008 to inquire into and report on international and regional mechanisms currently in place to prevent and redress human rights violations, with a view to providing options on possible models that may be suitable for the Asia-Pacific region.
The Sub-Committee consulted with a wide variety of regional stakeholders and non-government organisations with a recognised and established interest in human rights based both in Australia and internationally.

For the purposes of the inquiry, the areas considered were South East Asia, South and South West Asia and the Pacific.

Unlike other regions, the Asia-Pacific region does not have broad based regional human rights mechanisms for preventing and redressing human rights violations.
The Sub-Committee noted that evidence received indicated it would be premature to propose possible models for an Asia-Pacific regional human rights mechanism.

The Sub-Committee found that there is a clear need to enhance mechanisms for protecting human rights, and for monitoring and redressing human rights violations.

However moves towards a subregional unified mechanism must originate and be driven by the countries of the region themselves.
To this end the Sub Committee noted the interest expressed by some Pacific Nations to explore some form of meaningful regional human rights mechanism.

One way the Sub-Committee sees progress being possible is through the bilateral dialogues particularly through regular briefings to Parliament by government on dialogue outcomes.
viii Other recommendations in the Report were for AusAID to adopt a human rights based approach to guide the planning and implementation of development aid projects; support for regional ratification of existing UN and other treaties and for meeting other human rights obligations; Australian scholarship and educational support for non-government organisations and other civil society organisations in the region; and the appointment of an Australian special envoy on human rights to conduct high level consultations on regional human rights cooperation.
I would like to thank all who have participated in this inquiry, particularly those who have written submissions or given evidence at public hearings.
Ms Kerry Rea MP Human Rights Sub-Committee Chair Membership of the Committee Chair Senator M Forshaw Deputy Chair The Hon D Hawker MP Members Senator M Arbib (from 01/07/08 till 11/03/09) Senator A Bartlett (till 30/06/08) Senator M Bishop Senator M Cormann (till 23/09/08) Senator A Eggleston (till 19/03/08) Senator the Hon A Ferguson (from 01/07/08) Senator M Fifield Senator M Furner (from 16/03/09) Senator S Hanson-Young (from 04/12/08) Senator the Hon D Johnston (from 23/09/08) Senator L J Kirk (till 30/06/08) Senator S Ludlam (from 26/11/08) Senator the Hon J A L (Sandy) Macdonald (till 30/06/08) Senator C M Moore Senator K O’Brien (from 01/07/08) Senator M Payne (from 19/03/08) Senator N Stott Despoja (till 30/06/08) Senator R Trood Senator R S Webber (till 30/06/08) The Hon B Baldwin MP The Hon A Bevis MP The Hon J Bishop MP (from 11/03/09) Mr M Coulton MP (from 22/2/10) Mr M Danby MP Ms A Ellis MP The Hon J Fitzgibbon MP (from 15/06/09) Mr S W Gibbons MP Ms S Grierson MP Mr D Hale MP The Hon I Macfarlane MP (till 3/02/10) Mrs L Markus MP (from 25/09/08) Ms S Mirabella MP(till 11/03/09) The Hon J Murphy MP (from 20/03/09) Mr R Oakeshott MP (from 20/03/09) Ms M Parke MP Ms K Rea MP Mr B Ripoll MP The Hon A Robb AO MP (till 25/09/08) Mr S Robert MP The Hon P Ruddock MP Ms J Saffin MP The Hon B Scott MP Mr K Thomson MP(till 15/06/09) Mr W Truss (from 3/02/10 till 22/2/10) Ms M Vamvakinou MP Secretary Dr M Kerley x Membership of the Human Rights Sub-Committee Chair Ms K Rea MP Deputy Chair The Hon P Ruddock MP Members Senator M Fifield Senator M Forshaw (ex officio) Senator M Furner Senator S Hanson-Young Senator C Moore Senator R Trood Mr M Danby MP Ms A Ellis MP Ms S Grierson MP The Hon D Hawker MP (ex officio) Mrs L Markus MP Mr R Oakeshott MP Ms M Parke MP Ms M Vamvakinou MP Committee Secretariat Secretary Dr Margot Kerley Inquiry Secretary Ms Samantha Mannette Principal Research Officer Mr Paul Zinkel Office Manager Mrs Donna Quintus-Bosz Administrative Officers Mrs Sonya Gaspar Ms Gillian Drew Terms of
 reference On 3 September 2008, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Stephen Smith MP, asked the Committee to inquire into and report on international and regional mechanisms currently in place to prevent and redress human rights violations, with a view to providing options on possible models that may be suitable for the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on: the United Nations human rights system; regional mechanisms; and roles for parliaments List of abbreviations ACHPR African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights ACFID Australian Council for International Development ACTU Australian Council of Trade Unions AHRB ASEAN Human Rights Body AHRC Australian Human Rights Centre AICHR ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights AIPMC ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus APc APF Asia-Pacific community Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Organisations APPF Asian Pacific Parliamentary Forum ARF ASEAN Regional Forum ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations AU BCA CAT African Union Burma Campaign Australia Convention against Torture, and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CCF Citizen’s Constitutional Forum xiii CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CHRI Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative CIGJ CRC Centre for International Governance and Justice Convention on the Rights of the Child CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific FWCC Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre FWRM Fiji Women’s Rights Movement HRC Human Rights Council HRLC Human Rights Law Resource Centre HRTC Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program IACHR Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ICC International Criminal Court ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICERD Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ICESCR International Covenant
 on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICJ International Court of Justice ICPMW Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families ISF International Stabilisation Force JSCFADT Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade NGO Non Government Organisation xiv NHRI National Human Rights Institution NCYLC National Children’s and Youth Law Centre OAS Organization of American States OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights PICTs Pacific Island Countries and Territories RRRT Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team SCIL Sydney Centre for International Law UN United Nations UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women UPR Universal Periodic Review List of recommendations 6 Australia’s role Recommendation 1 The Committee recommends that: the Australian delegations to its bilateral human rights dialogues with China and Vietnam include parliamentary representation from the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade; and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provide the Human Rights Sub-Committee with an annual briefing on the outcomes of these dialogues, and on any other bilateral human rights dialogues that may later be established with countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Recommendation 2 The Committee recommends that AusAID adopt a human rights-based approach to guide the planning and implementation of development aid projects.
xvi Recommendation 3 The Committee recommends that in responding to the need to make progress in the region on embracing and implementing the universal human rights principles contained in the core human rights treaties, the Australian Government should review its current strategies, consult closely with key regional stakeholders, and consider work already being undertaken on this issue.
This should include consideration of: human rights education to enhance understanding in the region of the content, benefits and practical local application of these treaties; and ongoing support for countries to meet reporting and other participation obligations in the United Nations human rights system.
Recommendation 4 The Committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a scholarship fund to enable individuals from non-government organisations and civil society groups in Asia and the Pacific, who work in human rights or relevant fields, to attend approved human rights courses in Australia.
Recommendation 5 The Committee recommends that the Australian Government appoint a special envoy for Asia-Pacific regional cooperation on human rights, to undertake consultations with countries in Asia and the Pacific, and report to the Government within 12 months.

The special envoy should engage in discussion in the region on how Australia can best support regional approaches to the protection and promotion of human rights, and the redress for human rights violations in the Asia-Pacific.
The special envoy’s responsibilities should be determined by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but could include: undertaking high-level political consultations about the establishment of a Pacific subregional human rights mechanism and a wider Asia- Pacific regional mechanism; and consulting with government officials and key regional non-government stakeholders.

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