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the requirements and standards of any religion or belief;

   (h)         To observe days of rest and to celebrate holidays and ceremonies in accordance with the precepts of one's religion or belief;

   (i)           To establish and maintain communications with individuals and communities in matters of religion and belief at the national and international levels.

Article 7

The rights and freedoms set forth in the present Declaration shall be accorded in national legislation in such a manner that everyone shall be able to avail himself of such rights and freedoms in practice.

Article 8

Nothing in the present Declaration shall be construed as restricting or derogating from any right defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights.

78.  Miss WELLS (Australia), explaining her delegation's position, said that Australia had been pleased to join in the adoption by consensus of the draft declaration contained in document A/C.3/36/L.45.  It unreservedly upheld the principles of the declaration in all the legislation and practices applied in the various jurisdictions of the country, and it felt that the declaration just adopted came within the context of the obligations imposed by article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
79.  Australia was a country of Christian origin, a fact reflected in certain observances, such as the observance of Sunday as a day of rest.  However, the rights of all those who practised any other religion or held non-Christian beliefs were equally respected.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986

DECLARATION

I, MICHAEL JOHN DUFFY, Attorney-General, after consulting the appropriate Minister of each State, under subsection 47(1) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986, declare that the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 25 November 1981 (resolution 36/55), being a declaration that has been adopted by Australia, is an international instrument relating to human rights and freedoms for the purposes of that Act.

Dated 8th February 1993.

Michael Duffy
Attorney-General

[NOTE:  This Declaration commences on the date on which a copy of each of the United Nations Convention, a copy of Australia's instrument of ratification of the United nations Convention, and this Declaration, are published in the Gazette or, if those copies are published in the gazette on different dates, on the later or latest of those dates; see paragraph 47 (2) (b) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986.]