Australia unequivocally condemns all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance, including Nazism and neo-Nazism. Sadly, our world has not fully rid itself from the legacy of Nazism which can still be found today.

We note the SR’s emphasis on hate speech in her report. We are alarmed at the proliferation of hate-speech against people from national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in the last few years. The spread of misinformation and disinformation both online and offline has included false, hateful and incendiary claims against individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Australia recognises the strength of diversity, including the important contributions from indigenous peoples. It is critical that people from minority groups can participate directly in international discussions. The Australian Foreign Minister has announced that she will appoint an Ambassador for First Nations Peoples to help place Indigenous Australians’ experiences at the heart of Australia’s international engagement.

What more can we do to ensure that indigenous peoples, ethnic and religious minorities are represented in the UN system, including as employees of UN agencies and through state-based appointments?