“All Australians have a role to play in ending racism and
xenophobia,” says UN expert
GENEVA (7 December 2016) – United Nations human rights
expert Mutuma Ruteere called on all Australians to strengthen efforts to end
racism, xenophobia and other forms of racial discrimination in the country,
especially against indigenous people, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers,
Muslims, and persons of African descent.
“The elimination of racism, xenophobia and discrimination
will not happen unless it is led by the most senior political leadership and
unless institutions such as the media play a constructive role,” said the UN
Special Rapporteur on racism at the end of a fact-finding visit* to Australia.
Mr. Ruteere acknowledged the authorities’ interest to
ensure multiculturalism and urged the Government to show leadership and respect
diversity in a country where one out of two Australians is either born overseas
or has at least a parent born outside the country. He further hailed the work
and efforts of the civil society and the Australian Human Rights Commission
towards equality of all.
However, the expert deplored the many challenges
indigenous people and other groups continue to face in all aspects of their
lives. “Indigenous people are disproportionately targeted by the criminal
justice system, with high rates of juvenile incarceration and police profiling.
The current policing of indigenous communities is too punitive and need an
urgent change as its consequences can only lead to even further devastation of
these communities,” he said.
“Indigenous peoples are three times more likely to
experience unemployment, they remain at the margin of economic progress and prosperity,”
the expert highlighted. M. Ruteere also regretted that indigenous languages and
cultures are absent or rarely integrated in the educational programmes and
called upon the authorities to develop appropriate curriculum for indigenous
communities.
Regarding the current debate on Section 18 C) of the
Racial Discrimination Act, prohibiting hate speech, the expert noted that this
provision “sets the tone of an open, inclusive and multicultural Australia
which respects and values the diversity of its peoples and protects indigenous
and migrants against bigots and extremists who have become more vocal in
Australia and other parts of the world”.
“I call upon the Government to maintain this section as a
mean to protect discriminated groups against bigots and extremists,” he said.
“It is alarming to see that xenophobic hate speech,
including by elected politicians, has been on the rise in Australia and cheered
by sections of the mainstream media, contributing to reinforcing the negative
perception of migrants, particularly Muslims and persons of African descent,”
the Special Rapporteur said. He called upon political leaders to denounce and
censure this kind of divisive and racist rhetoric and urge the media to resist
the tempting descent into racist, and xenophobic stereotyping rhetoric and
scapegoating.
The expert was also informed of threats and incidents of
anti-Semitism faced by the Jewish community in the country.
Finally, the Special Rapporteur appealed to the
Australian Government to recognize constitutionally the role and rights of its
indigenous peoples, to consider a broader Human Rights Bill, which would ensure
protection against racism, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination to
all, in the form of a Constitutional Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
During his visit, from 28 November to 5 December 2016,
expert visited Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Alice Spring, where he met with
Government officials at federal, state and territorial levels, legislative and
judicial representatives, the Australian National Human Rights Commission,
representatives of civil society organizations and of the UN system, as well as
individual working in the field of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance.
The conclusions and recommendations of this visit will be
developed in a comprehensive report that will be presented to the Human Rights
Council in June 2017.
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s full end-of-mission
statement:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20993&LangID=E
ENDS
Mr. Mutuma Ruteere (Kenya) was appointed by the Human
Rights Council as Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in November 2011. As Special
Rapporteur, he is part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human
Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent
fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are
independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or
organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a
salary for their work. Learn more,
visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/SRRacism/Pages/IndexSRRacism.aspx
UN Human Rights, Country Page – Australia:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/AUIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests, please contact
Thierry del Prado (+41 22 917 92 32 / tdelprado@ohchr.org) or write toracism@ohchr.org.
You can access this press release at:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20995&LangID=E
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
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9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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