Statement 90 - Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General

Australian Permanent Mission and Consulate-General

Geneva, Switzerland

Address: Chemin des Fins 2, Case Postale 102, 1211 Geneva 19 - Telephone: 022 799 9100 - Fax: 022 799 9178

Human Rights Council – 13th Regular Session

Australian statement – Interactive Panel Dialogue on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Ms Robyn Hodgkin
Friday 5 March 2010, 15.00 – 18.00
Geneva Palais des Nations

Topic: The structure and role of national mechanisms for the implementation and monitoring of the UNCRPD.

Thank you Mr President.

Australia welcomes this interactive panel and would like to thank the panellists for offering their time today. We thank the OHCHR for providing captioning and sign language services for today’s panel.

Australia is particularly interested in exploring good practice in implementation and monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and would like to offer the following comments and questions to the panel.

The first element of the implementation of the Convention is the designation of one or more focal points within government to ensure general oversight and promotion of the Convention. Australia has jointly designated the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs as focal points - these are agencies with administrative responsibility for human rights policy and disability policy, respectively.

Another aspect of national implementation is the designation of a coordination mechanism within government to facilitate related action in different sectors and at different levels. Australia is developing a National Disability Strategy to enhance implementation of the Convention.

All levels of Australian governments, including Commonwealth, State and Territory and Local Government, have agreed to work together on the establishment of the NDS. It is the first time that all levels of government have agreed to such a wide ranging set of directions for disability.

The NDS will be a critical vehicle for implementation of the Convention and will ensure that the principles underpinning the Convention are incorporated into policies and programs affecting people with disability, their families and carers. The development of the NDS has included a formal public consultation process and the establishment of a 28-member National People with Disabilities and Carer Council to provide expert advice to Government on the development and implementation of the NDS.

In close relation to implementation is the concept of independent monitoring and the continuous involvement of civil society in implementing and monitoring the Convention.

Q: Australia will ensure that participation by people with disabilities is a vital element in its implementation. Australia would be interested to hear from the panel some views on engagement issues and mechanisms with civil society.

Australia considers that there is always room to improve and further strengthen legislative and policy frameworks in line with the obligations under the Convention. Having a better understanding of how articles of the Convention could be translated into domestic mechanisms could assist in this regard.

Q: There will be a growing wealth of material on such matters. Australia would like to hear any views on effective ways of facilitating information exchange in this regard.