Human Rights Council - 30th Regular Session
Item 10
Australian statement on Democratic Republic of the Congo
29 September 2015
Australia welcomes the Report of the OHCHR “Situation of human rights and the activities of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”.
Australia is gravely concerned at the continuing serious violations of human rights in the DRC, including violations by security forces of fundamental freedoms of political opponents. journalists and human rights defenders.
Australia is deeply concerned by continuing wide-spread sexual violence in the DRC. We note the efforts by the government to address this through the implementation of an action plan on tackling sexual violence for the armed forces. We urge the government to continue this work.
Australia urges the DRC to take all measures necessary to stop and prevent recruitment of child soldiers, child sexual violence and other grave child rights violations, and to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. We welcome efforts by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office within the framework of the Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict.
Australia encourages the DRC to ensure effective collaboration with all human rights partners to achieve better protection of human rights, and to ensure that humanitarian and human rights laws prevail.
We ask OHCHR to outline ways that the international community can support the human rights institutions and human rights defenders in the DRC to achieve their goals.