Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Human rights communications

Individuals can make communications to the United Nations (UN) on human rights issues that affect them directly. Australia has agreed to individuals’ rights to make communications to the United Nations under the:

  • Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (OP to ICCPR)
  • Convention against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
  • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
  • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (OP to CEDAW), and the
  • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OP to CRPD).

The Department coordinates the Government’s response to these communications.

These communications are considered by the UN Committee established to monitor each human rights treaty and any optional protocols. Before the relevant Committee considers the merits (substance) of a communication, it must be satisfied that the claim meets the formal requirements of admissibility.

General guidance on the admissibility criteria applied by human rights treaty bodies, including exhaustion of domestic remedies, is available on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights website. Further information on the admissibility requirements specific to each complaint mechanism can be found in the treaty that establishes the mechanism, and in the Rules of Procedure for each Committee, which can be found on the following websites:

Information on what should be included in a communication is available on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights website.

To make a complaint under one of the instruments listed above, direct your correspondence and inquiries to:

Mail:
Petitions Team
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Fax: + 41 22 9179022 (particularly for urgent matters)

Email: tb-petitions@ohchr.org

Individuals have made the following communications to the various committees, which are yet to be considered:

Outline of communications made under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Outline of communications made under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Outline of communications made under the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Committee Views and Government Responses

UN human rights committees have handed down views in relation to communications made by individuals in relation to Australia. Here are the most recent views and, where applicable, the Australian Government’s response to those views:

Human Rights Committee