Human Rights Council - 29th Regular Session
Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
Australian Statement
16 June 2015
Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur for her latest report. Australia would like to thank particularly the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, for her dedication throughout her mandate, and we wish her all the best in the future.
Australia recognises the critical importance of addressing the essential human rights issue of violence against women.
Australia does not tolerate violence against women or girls, any time, any place.
Australia agrees that the legal frameworks that protect women and girls from violence are very important, and we have a range of initiatives to this end.
Australia’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 is a 12-year strategy with a vision that women and their children live free from violence in safe communities.
All governments are working collaboratively to make a significant and sustained reduction in violence against women and their children.
For example, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) this year agreed to develop a national domestic violence order (DVO) scheme, to make DVOs automatically recognised and enforceable anywhere in Australia.
Regionally, the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development initiative – the $320 million, 10-year flagship program to address gender inequalities in the Pacific – has reducing violence against women as one of three priorities.
We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s views on how we can improve legal frameworks to prevent violence against women in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.