Human Rights Council

The Australian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva represents Australia's interests in the Human Rights Council. The Council was created in March 2006 to replace the former Commission on Human Rights as the United Nations' pre-eminent human rights body and Australia has been an active participant as a non-member of the Council at all sessions.

Australia's latest statements to the Human Rights Council

Australia's Universal Periodic Review

The Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States once every four-to-five years.

Information related to Australia's engagement with other states in the UPR process

Australia's third cycle UPR National Report was lodged with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in December 2020 and reviewed during the 37th UPR Session in January 2021.

Australia's National Report, statements from the interactive dialogue before the Human Rights Council and Australia's response to the UPR recommendations are available from the Attorney-General's Department. The next review is scheduled for 2026.

Social, Humanitarian Cultural Affairs Committee (Third Committee)

The Australian Mission to the United Nations in New York represents Australia’s interests in the United Nations General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee—commonly known as the Third Committee. Third Committee sits annually, in New York and is a key part of the UN's human rights architecture.

Australia's latest statements to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly