Australia has been elected to the UN human rights council uncontested, marking the first time the country has served on the powerful body.
But the rights record of the council’s new membership is again the focus of attention and criticism. Also elected were the Democratic Republic of Congo, where extrajudicial killings and the recruitment of child soldiers persist, and Pakistan, which retains the death penalty for crimes such as blasphemy.
The foreign minister, Julie Bishop, told Radio National that the fact Australia had won 176 votes was a “very strong endorsement” and indicated it was seen as “a principled and a pragmatic voice when it comes to human rights”.
Bishop said Australia’s focus would be on the empowerment of women, Indigenous rights, strong domestic human rights institutions, the abolition of the death penalty and human rights crises around the world, including in North Korea and Syria.
Asked about the human rights records of of other council members including Senegal, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Bishop said membership was an opportunity to scrutinise their record and that Australia supported a US-led push to reform the council so those with “appalling records are subject to greater scrutiny”.
For three-year terms beginning in 2018, elections to the 47-member council were almost entirely uncompetitive. Only among Asia-Pacific states, where six states are competing for four seats, were places contested.
Australia was competing against Spain and France for one of two spots representing the western Europe and others group, but the contest to serve on the council became a formality when France withdrew its bid.
But Australia’s bid, and elevation, has not been without criticism.
Oxfam Australia’s humanitarian policy adviser, Nicole Bieske, said Australia’s efforts to be a regional and global leader on rights would ring hollow unless it addressed rights issues domestically, in particular Indigenous rights and refugee policy.
“Indigenous children are grossly over-represented in detention centres, and the child mortality rate is double the national average,” Bieske said.
She said Australia should lift its refugee intake to 42,000 people by 2021 and immediately close its offshore immigration processing centres on Nauru and Manus and bring refugees held there to Australia. “It is imperative that the Australian government provide support services to refugees who have been further traumatised by the offshore processing system,” she said.
“Australia has an unprecedented opportunity to progress human rights in the Indo-Pacific region and globally as a member of the human rights council. This will require consistent and principled advocacy and a willingness to speak out when states are abusing their people. Instead of paying lip service to international human rights, Australia must ensure they are implemented at home and abroad.”
Labor senator Lisa Singh said Australia’s election to the council was a chance for the country to take a global leadership role on human rights issues.
“It will allow us to respond at an international level to human rights breaches in our region, like what is occurring in Myanmar right now.
“Human rights are a universal value. I hope membership of the council means Australia will not shirk its own humanitarian obligations.”
As Australia was being elevated uncontested to the human rights council in New York, in Geneva, the country’s human rights record was being assessed by the unrelated UN body, the human rights committee.
Again, the country’s record on Indigenous rights, particularly on health, education, incarceration and refugee policies, have been under scrutiny.
On Australia’s examination by the human rights committee, Bishop said it was “standard procedure” rather than Australia being “hauled” before the body. All countries have their rights record assessed by the committee periodically.
She defended Australia’s record on the treatment of asylum seekers, arguing Australia was closing down detention centres and had “smashed the people-smuggling trade”.
Australian Associated Press contributed to this report