Australia in Switzerland
Bern and Geneva
Switzerland, Liechtenstein

statement632

Human Rights Council - 27th Regular Session

Half-Day Panel Discussion on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Statement by Australia
17 September 2014


Australia welcomes the study on disaster risk reduction, prevention and preparedness initiatives being undertaken by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Australian Government has designed and implemented the National Emergency Management Strategy for Remote Indigenous Communities. This Strategy acknowledges and uses the skills and experiences of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to improve disaster resilience and community safety through sustainable emergency management.

A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is not always practical to prepare for disaster mitigation. Remote Indigenous communities are diverse. To meet the unique challenges associated with isolation, vulnerability and accessibility experienced in these communities, the Strategy develops the knowledge and capacity of Indigenous people and organisations to improve disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

The Strategy promotes effective partnerships between emergency management agencies, Indigenous organisations and government to improve community safety outcomes for remote Indigenous communities.

The Australian Government has also developed the Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub to provide access to research, resources and news relevant to emergency management.

At the international level, Australia supports calls on the post-2015 Hyogo Framework of Action2 to consider the perspectives of vulnerable peoples, including indigenous peoples, in disaster risk reduction planning and implementation.