Statement by Australia on Israeli amendment proposing to remove funding for the U.N. "Human Rights" Council "Commission of Inquiry"

"Australia has abstained on the amendment to the resolution in relation to resources for resolution S-30/1 of the UN Human Rights Council. Australia’s principled, consistent and long-standing position in the UN and other international forums is that we oppose anti-Israel bias. We are currently not members of the UN Human Rights Council and therefore did not vote on the resolution that established the Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. The Australian government believes the Commission of Inquiry’s mandate is excessively broad. It is one-sided, open-ended, and over-resourced. And we affirm Israel’s rights to self-defense in accordance with international law, and the need for Palestinians to be able to live in peace and with dignity.

Australia consistently supports human rights resourcing, even for mandates that we may not support. And in the 5th Committee, we endeavored, as we always do, to find consensus. We note the Committee agreed to endorse the recommendation of the Advisory Council on Administrative and Budget Questions to reduce the overall level of resources for implementation of this particular mandate. Australia is committed to advancing human rights globally and we are committed to a strong, multilateral human rights system. Our commitment reflects our national values and is a foundational principle of Australia’s engagement with the international community."