International Human Rights

Women's Legal Services NSW believes that all women are entitled to a fair and just society that respects their human rights. As part of our work in promoting women's human rights, we engage actively in the United Nations Human Rights Treaty System accountability mechanisms.

• Universal Periodic Review
• CEDAW
• Other human rights treaties

Universal Periodic Review

On 27 January 2011, the UN Human Rights Council reviewed Australia's human rights record under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. Women's Legal Services NSW contributed to the NGO materials that were prepared for the review and was represented in the NGO delegation to the review.

UPR Resources

• Draft UN Report on Australia
• Australian Government Report
• Joint NGO Submission
• Australian Human Rights Commission Submission

UPR NGO Advocacy Resources

• UPR Recommendations by Theme (prepared by Kingsford Legal Centre)
• Australian NGO Coalition's Recommendations specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Australian NGO Coalition's Recommendations,  Information Booklet and Thematic Fact Sheets
• Updates from the Australian NGO Delegation
• Australian NGO Recommendations for Voluntary Commitments

Our submissions to government about the UPR

• Submission to the Australian Government on its Draft Universal Periodic Review Report
• Initial submission to the Australian Government
• Submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission on its draft submission

CEDAW

CEDAW is the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. It requires participating countries, including Australia, to put in place legal, policy and financial measures to protect women from discrimination and to uphold their rights. Participating countries must also report to the UN CEDAW Committee about their actions.

From 2008-2010, Women's Legal Services NSW coordinated the NGO contribution to Australia's review under CEDAW on behalf of a range of women's and human rights NGOs. This project was undertaken in partnership with the YWCA Australia (project manager and joint coordinator) with funding from the Australian Government Office for Women. Women's Legal Services NSW was also represented in the NGO delegation to Australia's review.

CEDAW Action Plan

The 15-point CEDAW Action Plan for Women in Australia sets out what the Australian and State and Territory Governments should do to put into action the CEDAW Committee's recommendations on women's human rights in Australia.

It contains thematic sheets on anti-discrimination and human rights protection, participation in public and political life, violence against women, employment, education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with disabilities, and culturally and linguistically divers women. Download the CEDAW Action Plan

Australia's review under CEDAW

In 2010 the CEDAW Committee issues its recommendations, or Concluding Observations, on Australia's implementation of CEDAW. As part of the review, NGOs and the Australian Government prepared reports and other materials on the implementation of CEDAW in Australia.

CEDAW Review Resources

• CEDAW Concluding Observations on Australia
  
• Australian Government Report
  
• Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Parallel NGO Report
  
• Update to the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Parallel NGO Report
  
• Australian NGO Report
  
• Update to the Australian NGO Report
  
• Addendum to the Australian NGO Report

CEDAW NGO Delegation Advocacy Resources

• Australian NGO's Recommendations for the CEDAW Committee's Concluding
• Observations on Australia
• Australian NGO Issue Sheets
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's NGO Issue Sheets
• Media release regarding NGO involvement

WLSNSW articles about the Review

• Australian Lawyers for Human Rights newsletter
• Hobart Women's Health Centre's newsletter

CEDAW NGO Workshops

As part of the preparation of the Australian NGO and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's NGO Reports, we held workshops across Australia in 2009 to consult women on the issues of importance to them and to strengthen their understanding of the rights in CEDAW.

Workshop resources

• Workshop presentation
• WRANA Resource Materials

Other useful CEDAW Resources

• Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Optional Protocol to CEDAW

Other human rights treaties

Women's Legal Services NSW also contributes to review processes under other international human rights treaties. For example, we have contributed to the Australian NGO reports on the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights.