Australian government accepts 38 percent of UN human rights recommendations

The Australian government rejected every recommendation from the United Nations Human Rights Council that addressed LGBTQIA+ rights. Officials accepted 128 of the 332 recommendations received overall, or 38 percent. The Universal Periodic Review occurs every four and a half years and allows other UN member states to suggest improvements to a country's human rights record.

More than 120 countries submitted proposals covering children, women, people with disabilities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

LGBTQIA+ issues Eight recommendations focused on LGBTQIA+ matters. They called for removal of exemptions that permit religious schools to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students and staff, elimination of legal exemptions allowing discrimination against trans, gender-diverse, and intersex people, and a national ban on conversion practices.

Other proposals sought public education campaigns to reduce stigma, a prohibition on unnecessary surgeries on intersex children, and simpler legal processes for trans and gender-diverse people to change their recorded gender. A spokesperson for Equality Australia said the government had missed an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to equality, safety, and dignity for all Australians.

Government and commission responses A government spokesperson stated that Australia has made significant progress advancing the rights of LGBTIQA+ people and remains committed to continuing that work. Officials noted that accepted recommendations largely cover reforms already underway.

Acting President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Dr Anna Cody said the government had agreed only to measures already in place and had ignored more than 200 proposals for new reforms. She added that the gap between international commitments and domestic practice is widening.