MORE than 50 organisations have stepped up pressure on the Rudd Government to begin consultation on human rights within three months and to ensure Australians from all walks of life are included in the process.
The Uniting Church, Amnesty International, the Australian Lawyers Alliance and GetUp! are among the groups that have sent an open letter to Kevin Rudd urging him to kickstart the consultation process. The groups want discussion to begin by December 10, the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Government has allocated $2.8million to cover the costs of a human rights consultation process. But it has not indicated when or in what form the consultation will occur.
The letter urges the Government to commit to an “open and fair” process that gives all Australians an opportunity to participate. It also calls on the Government to appoint an independent panel comprising “people from different walks of life”.
Nicola Berkovic | August 29, 2008 | The Australian
Filed under: Human Rights, Media Clippings, Uniting Church | Tagged: Human Rights, Kevin Rudd, Uniting Church
