S. James Anaya is one of the world’s top human rights scholars,
an advocate for indigenous peoples.
The United Nations recently named
the University of Arizona law professor
This means Prof. Anaya will conduct
human rights investigations and research around the world,
expanding the work for which he is best known.
Prof. Anaya successfully led a precedent-setting case
which violated their land rights by approving logging and oil exploration.
Prof. Anaya came to the UA in 1999 and holds
the James L. Lenoir Professorship in Human Rights and Policy.
~~~~~~~~
The Press Release below has come to
The Network from Networker Les
----------
SPECIAL REPORT
AUSTRALIA VISIT BY UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR
UN Expert arrives in Australia
16 August 2009
James Anaya, the United Nations expert arrived in Australia today to examine the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
James was appointed as the Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights and freedoms of Indigenous Peoples by the UN Human Rights Council, in May 2008. He is in Australia for two weeks, to 28 August, traveling to many locations to meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
He will fly in turn to Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Alice Springs, Darwin, Cairns, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane.
His first meeting will be with government to announce his visit and receive information and advice from government perspectives. He then will look to receiving information from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the community level. This itinerary will allow him time to visit remote communities in central and northern Australia as well as experience communities and organisations in urban and rural areas.
The Special Rapporteur is particularly interested in the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. As his title suggests he is interested in how Australia is meeting its human rights obligations to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
At the end of his visit he will have a further meeting with the government to provide some feedback on his visit and preliminary findings. He will then prepare a report to the Human Rights Council possibly to be presented in early 2010. The government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives will have the opportunity to comment on the report after it is presented to the Human Rights Council.
The Human Rights Council has shown considerable interest in and support for the rights of Indigenous Peoples since its formation in 2006, replacing the UN Commission on Human Rights.
---
Submissions to the UN Special Rapporteur can be sent by email to
Further information can be found at
No comments:
Post a Comment
This blog does not take Anonymous comments. Experience shows that comments cluttered with "Anonymous" are boring and people don't know whether "Anonymous" is one person or many. This is not a decision about freedom of speech. It is a decision about boring or unwillingness to be known by even a pseudonym.