Human Rights Council - 26th Regular Session
Item 3
Clustered Interactive Dialogue – Special Rapporteur on the right to health and the Working Group on business and human rights
Statement by Australia
11 June 2014
Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur on the right to health for his report.
Australia’s preferred approach is to actively educate, support and encourage Australians to adopt and maintain a healthy diet rather than regulate.
In February 2013, Australia released a new version of the Australian Dietary Guidelines Eat for Health which underpins national policy and programmes to promote healthy living and eating. The Guidelines include a range of resources such as brochures targeted to meet the specific needs of adults, children, infants and pregnant women.
Australia notes that positive progress can be achieved through voluntary frameworks as well as legal frameworks, particularly in the area of labelling.
Australia supports the implementation of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases 2013-2020.
Australia welcomes the third report of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
Australia thanks the Working Group for its active promotion of the business and human rights agenda over the past three years to States, businesses and civil society.
It is still early days in the implementation of the Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework.
We must remain focussed on building an understanding of the Framework and supporting its effective implementation. Seeking to develop alternative mechanisms risks undermining the momentum the Guiding Principles have gained to date.