CRC’s Review of Australia

Ben SchokmanApril 2012

www.hrlc.org.au

Overview

• About the periodic reporting process• Observations on:

• Australia’s fourth periodic report• Committee’s List of Issues

• Utility of the periodic reporting process?

Purpose of Periodic Reporting

• Promote implementation of the CRC• CRC art 44(1)• Report in accordance with the Committee’s

guidelines in a “thorough and timely manner”

Reporting Guidelines

Reports should :

• consider issues of principal concern in a methodical and informative manner

• contain relevant legislative, judicial, administrative and other information, including statistical data

• provide information about:• “factors and difficulties encountered”

• “progress achieved”

• “implementation priorities”

• “specific goals” for the future

Periodic Reporting Process June 2009 Government’s periodic report

October 2011 Pre-sessional meeting and

List of Issues published

April 2012 Government’s written response

to List of Issues

May 2012 Committee’s review of

Australia and issues

“Concluding Observations”

NGO Report

NGO Addendum

Lobbying

Lobbying

Australian Government’s Report

• Overall, balanced and constructive… but an opportunity missed?

• Focus on inputs ($$) and listing outputs (such as “plans”, “programs”, “frameworks”), and not on outcomes

• Lack of statistical data

• On many issues, there is selective reporting or non-reporting

• Little focus on challenges, progress, priorities and goals

Committee’s List of Issues

• Issues raised include: legal framework, early childhood, children’s commissioner, child abuse and neglect, corporal punishment, children with disabilities, ATSI children, immigration detention, juvenile justice

• Further information on data and statistics

• Further information on priorities for implementation

Utility of the periodic reporting process?

• To secure the domestic implementation of international

human rights standards

• To use the outcomes of these mechanisms in advocacy

and policy development at the domestic level

• To create a dialogue with government

• To develop knowledge of human rights in Australia

• Human rights education

• Network building

Ultimately…

• Proper test will be follow up and implementation of the Concluding Observations

• For both Government and for NGOs

• Australia’s (re)engagement with the UN human rights system and commitment to being a “principled human rights leader”