United Nations Observations

2019

• Michelle Bachelet (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Free and Equal: An Australian Conversation on Human Rights, the Australian Human Rights Commission Conference, 8 October 2019;
• United Nations Human Rights Experts, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Australia: UN experts urge immediate medical attention to migrants in its offshore facilities, 19 June 2019;
• Michelle Bachelet (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Address to the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, 6 March 2019;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Welcomes Life-Saving Action for Refugees in Medical Need, 13 February 2019;

2018

• Catherine Stubberfield (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, External Relations Officer), Medical evacuations are essential to maintain basic human decency, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 December 2018;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Appeals for Urgent Medical Intervention by Australia, Press Release, 29 November 2018;
• Catherine Stubberfield (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, External Relations Officer), UNHCR urges Australia to evacuate offshore facilities as health situation deteriorates, Briefing Note, 12 October 2018;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR appeals to Australia to act and save lives at immediate risk, Press Release, 23 October 2018;
• Michelle Bachelet (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), 39th Session of the Human Rights Council: Opening Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, 10 September 2018;
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women,  Concluding observations on the eighth periodic report of Australia, CEDAW/C/AUS/CO/8, 20 July 2018;
• Catherine Stubberfield (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, External Relations Officer), Five years of summoning strength and resourcefulness from neglect, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 July 2018;
• Andrej Mahecic (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Senior Communications Officer), UNHCR urges Australia to end separation of refugee families, Briefing Note, 17 July 2018;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Fact Sheet on Situation of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers on Manus Island. Papua New Guinea, Fact Sheet, 5 July 2018;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement, Press Release, 22 May 2018;
• Catherine Stubberfield (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, External Relations Officer), Facing the hardest separation, The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 2018;
• Indrika Ratwatte (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Director of the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific), Press Briefing at the Palais des Nations, 4 April 2018;
• Indrika Ratwatte (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Director of the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific), ‘I am old. I only wanted a small life. I have no hope left’, The Guardian, 27 March 2018;
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, A/HRC/37/50, 26 February 2018;
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders on his mission to Australia, A/HRC/37/51/Add.3, 28 February 2018;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Fact Sheet on Situation of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers on Manus Island. Papua New Guinea, Fact Sheet, 21 January 2018;

2017

• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Concluding observations on the eighteenth to twentieth periodic reports of Australia, CERD/C/AUS/CO/18-20,  26 December 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement, Press Release, 22 December 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Australia must secure solutions for refugees abandoned on Manus Island, Briefing Note, 22 December 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Fact Sheet on Situation of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers on Manus Island. Papua New Guinea, Fact Sheet, 15 December 2017;
• Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Australia, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, CCPR/C/AUS/CO/6, 1 December 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR: Immediate action needed to avert further harm and tragedy on Manus Island, Press Release, 24 November 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR calls for calm amid reports of forced removal of refugees on Manus Island, Press Release, 23 November 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Australia urged to ensure protection, assistance and solutions for refugees on Manus Island, Briefing Note, 21 November 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Urges Humane Approach on Manus Island, Press Release, 10 November 2017;
• Volker Türk (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection), UNHCR urges humane approach on Manus Island, Press Briefing at the Palais des Nations, 10 November 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Urges Australia to Stop Unfolding Humanitarian Emergency, Press Release, 2 November 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement: Australia must prevent looming humanitarian emergency in Papua New Guinea, Press Release, 18 October 2017;
• Thomas Albrecht (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representative in Canberra), Australia’s refugee policy is a failure. This is not the time to shirk responsibility, The Guardian, 2 October 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement, Press Release, 2 October 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Australia should not coerce vulnerable people to return to harm, Press Release, 29 August 2017;
• Human Rights Council, Unlawful death of refugees and migrants, Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, A/72/335, 15 August 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR warns of escalating crisis on Manus Island, Press Release, 8 August 2017;
• Filippo Grandi (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi calls on Australia to end harmful practice of offshore processing, Press Release, 24 July 2017;
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations on the fifth periodic report of Australia, E/C.12/AUS/CO/5, 11 July 2017;
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants on his mission to Australia and the regional processing centres in Nauru, A/HRC/35/25/Add.3, 24 April 2017;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Statement, Press Release, 3 February 2017;
• United Nations in Papua New Guinea, Press Release, 16 January 2017;

2016

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Human lives, Human rights, Press Release, 24 November 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016, Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation  Committee, 16 November 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Inquiry into the serious allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect of asylum- seekers in relation to the Nauru Regional Processing Centre, and any like allegations in relation to the Manus Regional Processing Centre, Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, 16 November 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR to endorse Australia-United States relocations as “offshore processing” arrangements fail refugees, Press Release, 13 November 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Refugees need and deserve protection and respect, Press Release, 31 October 2016;
• Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the initial report  of Nauru, Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC/C/NRU/CO/1, 28 October 2016;
• Ravina Shamdasani (Spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Press briefing notes on Nauru, Yemen and Democratic Republic of the Congo, 12 August 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR: Immediate solutions needed for Nauru, Press Release, 10 August 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR calls for immediate movement of refugees and asylum-seekers to humane conditions, Press Release, 2 May 2016;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Detaining asylum seekers and refugees in offshore detention centres subject to international obligations, despite High Court decision, Press Release, 5 February 2016;
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Australia, A/HRC/31/14, 13 January 2016;

2015

• Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Interactive Dialogue on the Human Rights of Migrants at the 29th session of the Human Rights Council, 15 June 2015;
• Human Rights Council, Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Australia, A/HRC/WG.6/23/AUS/2, 31 August 2015;
• Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Human Rights Council Informal Briefing on Burundi, Tunisia, Migration crises in Europe and South-East Asia, and South Sudan, 26 May 2015;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Submission to the Senate Select Committee on the Recent Allegations Relating to Conditions and Circumstances at the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru, 27 April 2015;
• Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, 5 March 2015, A/HRC/28/68/Add.1;

2014

• Committee Against Torture, Concluding observations on the combined fourth and fifth reports of Australia, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Unhuman or degrading Treatment or Punishment, CAT/C/AUS/CO/4-5, 23 December 2014;
• Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), Human Rights Council 27th Session, 8 September 2014;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, Inquiry into the incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014, Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, 7 May 2014;

2013

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR: some progress, but shortcomings still evident at Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, Press Release, 12 July 2013;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Monitoring Visit to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, Mission Report, 11-13 June 2013;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR finds significant legal and operational inadequacies at Manus Island, Press Release, 4 February 2013;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Mission to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, Mission Report, 15-17 January 2013;

2012

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR Mission to the Republic of Nauru, Mission Report, 3-5 December 2012;
• António Guterres (Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Correspondence to the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Former Minister for Immigration and Citizenship of Australia regarding Manus Island Detention Centre, 9 October 2012;
• António Guterres (Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Correspondence to the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Former Minister for Immigration and Citizenship of Australia regarding Nauru Detention Centre, 5 September 2012;
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Representation in Canberra, UNHCR calls for compassion and legal principles to be at centre of policy responses, Press Release, 12 July 2012.