The Wire

The Australian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Mike Smith, was appointed chair of the UN Human Rights Commission (or UNHRC) earlier this year. But he’s already under fire for failing to support several important new resolutions put forward by the international community. When the UNHRC recently met in Geneva for its annual six-week conference, Australia, along with the United States, voted NO to twenty-six resolutions, out of a total of 40. Margaret Reynolds, President of the United Nations Association of Australia, says Australia has performed poorly on the commission but she blames the Howard government, rather than Mr Smith. Ed Giles spoke to Margaret Reynolds, about whether as Chair of the UNHRC, Australia has taken the opportunity to set a good example in human rights. He also spoke to Dr Robert Loeffell from the School of History at the University of New South Wales about the International Criminal Court. This is a permanent court set up recently to enable the trial and punishment of those who commit atrocities and war crimes. It’s a treaty, so countries sign up to it, but America is not a signatory. Countries are obliged to honour their commitments to the UNHRC and Geneva Conventions, but its voluntary. So accountability is through international condemnation and offical censure, but Dr Loeffel argues that the strongest method of accountability is through domestic politics and the media.

UN Commission on Human Rights
International Criminal Court