UN Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights Dr. Cephas Lumina completed his country assessment of Australia on 11 Feb. after a weeklong visit. He was joined on his mission by OHCHR Regional Representative Matilda Bogner and Human Rights Officer Brenda Vukovic.
The Canberra UNIC staff coordinated the week's meetings, which included representatives from the Australian government, including the Foreign Ministry, the Trade Ministry, AusAID, Reserve Bank, and the Development Effectiveness Steering Committee, and national NGOs such as Oxfam Australia, Action Aid, Jubilee Australia and the World Bank.
His Excellency Beraki Jino, Solomon Islands Ambassador, met with the Independent Expert in advance of his next mission to the Solomon Islands.
With the assistance of the Human Rights Legal Resource Centre, UNIC also coordinated two roundtable events for additional NGOs and stakeholders in both Sydney and Melbourne. Several expert academics from the Australian National University and the University of Sydney briefed the IE on Australia's aid in the Pacific region.
At the concluding press briefing, organized and hosted by UNIC, Dr. Lumina stressed the need to integrate a human-rights-based approach into Australia's development aid policy and programmes. The Independent Expert will submit a preliminary report on the visit to Australia and Solomon Islands to the Human Rights Council in June 2011 and a full report in 2012.
