The UN Human Rights Accountability Mechanisms: The UN Treaty Bodies – Webinar Recording

This webinar is the first in a series of three to introduce participants to the key accountability mechanisms established through the UN to hold states accountable to their human rights commitments. The UN Treaty Bodies are committees of international experts tasked with ensuring governments abide by the human rights treaties they have ratified.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Australia’s accession to the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), and the subsequent adoption of the Racial Discrimination Act that implements its provisions in domestic law. March 21 is the International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Professor Chung from the CERD Committee provided an overview of the work of her Committee and outlined the way that States have reacted to its findings and their positive impacts. Australia is planning to submit a combined 21st and 22nd CERD periodic report this year. Darren Dick from the Australian Human Rights Commission outlined the role of the Commission in the reporting process and spoke about the issues that have been consistently raised by the Committee in relation to Australia.