Standing up for human, political, and women’s rights

Across the world, human rights are in recession—and not just in autocracies. Turbulent times are seeing democracies, too, increasingly clamp down on personal liberties and civic space.

The degradation of rights is not only a moral question. It erodes our security as individuals and communities. Indeed, human rights do not simply define the conditions of safe and dignified life; they realise it as a lived experience. The trampling of rights necessarily entails the weakening of human security.

When understood in that light, it follows that the defence of fundamental rights—be they human, political, indigenous, or women's rights—must be at the heart of the regional security project.

We must defend them first for what they express: rights enshrine the demand for dignity that inheres naturally in all of us.

We must defend them for what they protect: rights guarantee the essential freedoms—of speech, belief, association, and bodily autonomy—that allow people to pursue safe and fulfilling lives.

And we must defend them for what they enable: rights empower citizens to hold governments to account, through elections, journalism, and peaceful protest.

Still, as much as we must defend human rights, it is important that we do so in cooperative, not coercive, ways. Punitive measures—especially public ones—rarely reverse backsliding.

Of course, it will at times be incumbent on the international community to sanction grave human rights abuses. Australia must not shirk these responsibilities when they arise.

In general, however, our starting point should always be to advocate progress—firmly—in constructive, closed-door settings. And rather than wait to punish the weakening of rights, we should work pro-actively with partners to strengthen them. Our support should focus on fostering the conditions—rule of law, strong civil society, and open media environments—that enable rights to be enjoyed in practice.

To those ends, Australia will collaborate with regional partners to improve human rights standards in the following ways:

Advocate firmly in constructive, bilateral dialogue. Australia will continue to press our partners, in private and respectful ways, on religious freedoms, reproductive rights, abolishing the death penalty, and free and fair elections, among other concerns.

Support the work of multilateral Human Rights organisations. Australia will increase its financial and technical assistance to multilateral organisations championing human rights across the region, including the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, the Pacific Regional Office of the OHCHR, the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, and the Pacific Community Regional Rights Resource Team.

Champion independent media and civil society organisations. Local advocates and journalists are the most effective champions of the human rights cause regionally. For decades, they have led the charge in both securing rights and exposing their violation. To support their continued work, Australia will increase the share of development assistance we direct towards civil society groups regionally.

Apply targeted sanctions as necessary. In cases of grave or persistent human rights abuses, Australia will make full use of its new Magnitsky-style sanctions regime.

Strengthen domestic compliance with Australia's modern slavery laws. As a priority, Australia will enhance the monitoring and enforcement capacity of the new legal regime. We will also lower the turnover threshold at which Australian companies must report on forced labour risks in their supply chains.

Expand the Australian Electoral Commission's international work program. As a trusted world-leader in facilitating free and fair elections, the AEC has helped many overseas counterparts adopt similar best practices. Australia will increase funding towards the AEC's peer-to-peer cooperation, noting the significant indirect role it plays in extending regional enfranchisement rights.

Elevate gender equality and disability inclusion objectives in Australia's development program. While rights are inalienable, their enjoyment can be denied or diminished by structural factors. For instance, poor infrastructure design often precludes certain people from exercising their rights to work or access education. This is particularly true for women, girls, and people with disability. As a priority, then, Australia will continue to elevate gender equality and disability inclusion as objectives in our development program.

Demonstrate progress at home. To be a credible human rights partner, and gain traction in influencing regional progress, Australia must address as a matter of urgency the concerns raised against us by the UNHRC, including in relation to offshore detention.