Media Release

FA21 / 11 February 2002

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' Special Envoy

The Government has decided to allow a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, to visit Australia as part of the planned visit by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.  The decision followed discussion of the matter by Federal Cabinet on 11 February.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had earlier been invited by the Government to visit Australia’s immigration detention and processing centres.  The visit is expected to take place between May and August this year, with precise dates still to be determined.

In announcing the decision, I reiterate that Australia has nothing to hide from scrutiny of its immigration detention and processing centres.  These centres are visited regularly by a wide cross-section of community organisations and representatives, including from overseas.  Allowing the High Commissioner’s Special Envoy to visit in conjunction with the visit of the Working Group underlines the Government’s readiness to facilitate international scrutiny, while rationalising the role of different UN agencies.

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Local Date: Saturday, 06-Dec-2008 03:03:11 EST