Australia reiterates its steadfast commitment to the global fight against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, in all its forms. Again, we reiterate that hateful and divisive rhetoric has no place in Australia or anywhere in the world, online or offline.

Australia is pleased to see the two amendments adopted into the resolution. We thank the member states who have demonstrated, through their actions, that the weaponization of the Holocaust and Nazism by the Russian Federation in justifying its unilateral, illegal and immoral aggression against the people of Ukraine through this resolution, is not acceptable. We condemn Russia’s efforts to utilise and manipulate this resolution to justify its invasion of Ukraine, which is an affront to international law.

While the resolution addresses elements of combating Nazism, neo-Nazism, and racism, Australia has changed its long-standing position of abstaining from the resolution and voted no as we have serious concerns that the purpose of the resolution will continue to be used as a means for further justification of the illegal war in Ukraine, and thus mischaracterises Member State obligations on human rights.  

We see there are opportunities to strengthen the resolution and to embrace a more inclusive approach to addressing the diverse practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of Nazism, neo-Nazism, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

We ask the Russian Federation to hold open and transparent dialogue on this resolution so that in future, we can constructively engage in this resolution and genuinely contribute to addressing these challenges globally.