Australia embarrassed on world stage over downgrade threat | Could have its global status downgraded over questions around hand-picked appointments | If downgraded, Australia would be relegated to an observer at the U.N. Human Rights Council

[Golwalkar]

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson says President of the Human Rights Commission Rosalind Croucher admitted serious financial mismanagement. It comes after the mismanagement of finance at the Human Rights Commission resulted in a huge budget blowout. “Things like not running proper forecasting, not really…

 

Australia embarrassed on world stage over downgrade threat

A major Australian national institution could have its global status downgraded over questions around hand-picked appointments.

Duncan Murray

 

2 min read April 7, 2022 - 7:33PM NCA NewsWire

Australia’s peak human rights organisation is at risk of having its international ranking downgraded.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been warned it could be downgraded from an A accreditation to a B if it doesn’t make changes to ensure the independence of its leadership.

If downgraded, Australia would be relegated to an observer at the UN Human Rights Council.

Following a five-yearly assessment by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the AHRC was not reaccredited as an A-status National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).

Instead the decision was deferred over concerns regarding the organisation’s selection and appointment process for commissioners.

 

 

Last year, the Morrison government selected Lorraine Finlay to be Human Rights Commissioner “without an open, merit-based selection process” according to the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC).

Perth-based legal academic Lorraine Finlay was hand-selected for a five-year term as Human Rights Commissioner last year.

“The Morrison government has undermined the independence and effectiveness of the Commission, making Commissioner appointments without a public, merit-based selection process,” Human Rights Law Centre Executive Director Hugh de Kretser said.

“The Morrison government’s actions have jeopardised our national human rights watchdog at a critical time for human rights, both at home and globally.”

GANHRI is composed of 118 nation members – 86 of which have human rights organisations with an A accreditation, and 32 which are B accredited.

Those with “A status” have full participation rights at the UN Human Rights Council to attend and be heard at meetings.

If downgraded, Australia would only be able to participate as an observer alongside countries including Myanmar, Congo, Libya and Venezuela.

 

Australia could be relegated to the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council alongside countries including Myanmar, Congo, Libya and Venezuela. Picture: SALVATORE DI NOLFI / AFP

“Australia can and should lead the world on human rights. Instead of leading, the Morrison government is embarrassing us on the world stage,” Mr de Kretser said.

The Australian Government has been given roughly 15 months to address this matter before a final decision on the Commission’s status is made in October 2023.

Following the controversial appointment of Tim Wilson as Human Rights Commissioner in 2013 by the Abbott government, successive governments generally reverted to an open recruitment processes for commission appointments.

However, the HRLC said under Morrison the Government reverted to “hand-picking key roles”.

The AHRC said it would work with government and others to attempt to secure re-accreditation as an A-status NHRI in 2023.

“For 30 years the Australian Government has played a key role in promoting the establishment of national human rights institutions across the globe,” the AHRC said in a statement

The Commission’s President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher, has expressed concerns to the government over the deferral’s potential risks to human rights in Australia and the country’s reputation internationally.

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/australia-embarrassed-on-world-stage-over-downgrade-threat/news-story/0d902e7a7cd1d22cc40f78dd5b376664

 

 

[Golwalkar]

Unrelated to this, Australia - when compared to the rest of the First World / Anglosphere countries - has been somewhat of an outlier. Perhaps due to its physical remoteness It has always enjoyed relative seclusion and scant media scrutiny in lots of aspects. I do not know is this is by design or is purely coincidental.  

Australia is a huge landmass, roughly the size of the continental United States but barely has half dozen population centers. 

 

The speculator in me thinks Australia is still in its infancy as a territory. 

I want to know how likely it is that Australia in 15-20 years will have entire medium to large cities mushroom all over the place with sizeable populations. Frankly its perplexing it has taken this long for the population to reach 25.69 million (2020) !!

Canada's Trudeau is quoted as saying that he wants Canada to grow to 100 million in population in the foreseeable future (by middle of this century !?!). They had wilder projections back in the day.

With so many overpopulated & bleak future-d countries elsewhere ( and with nearly *every* Western country encouraging mass immigration from these countries to their shores )  I wonder just how much longer Australia can fend off expansion of pop centers, within its borders. What makes it special ? You can grow your economy solely on your mineral resource riches for so long - you need diversification and they probably know it. 

Biden recently sold nuclear powered submarine technology to Straya in a rare move. With China in mind of course. But these deals do not come without 'costs' - anytime you accept anything from any power bloc there's a price to be paid   Perhaps it could mean that Aussies will be nudged to increase their immigration numbers.

It goes without saying that it is highly unlikely that a landmass as huge as Australia will be left in its current shape - as one huge wildlife preserve - for much longer. Everything we know about current geo-politics suggests otherwise.