Australia is a peaceful, prosperous nation that vocalises its support for human rights – and yet last week at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, one after another, countries voiced their concerns about serious human rights violations that are being committed in Australia, particularly relating to the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, the minimum age of criminal responsibility, inequality faced by First Nations people and addressing climate change.
This cascade of criticism should inspire a long-overdue practical response by the Australian government in these critical areas, and it should also raise concern among Australian citizens about human rights violations being committed in their name.