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Australia - Appendix 2 to State Party Report [2016] UNCERDSPR 5; INT/CERD/ADR/AUS/22972 (17 February 2016)

AUSTRALIA’S COMBINED 18th, 19th AND 20th REPORTS UNDER THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

APPENDIX 2

Non-Government Organisation Submissions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION SUBMISSIONS

Consultation with Non-Government Organisations

1. The Australian Government values the important role that civil society and non-government organisations play in the United Nations human rights system; particularly in ensuring transparency and accountability in human rights treaty body reporting.

2. In August and December 2014 civil society was consulted on the ideal format for consultation on Australia’s Combined 18th, 19th and 20th Reports under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and this informed the Government’s consultation processes; led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

3. In February 2015 over eighty organisations were invited to express interest in reviewing the draft CERD report. This included a number of peak bodies, and organisations which represent a wide range of disadvantaged groups including indigenous organisations, disability organisations and refugee advocacy groups.

4. DFAT held a half-day roundtable discussion on the draft CERD report in Canberra on

8 May 2015.

5. DFAT also made the draft report available for consideration by NGOs and accepted written submissions for over six weeks, from 8 April to 25 May 2015.

6. Input from NGOs and civil society was then consolidated and shared across the federal, state and territory governments, and was integral to the finalisation of the report.

Non-Government Organisation Participants

7. The following list of organisations participated in the roundtable discussion on the CERD report in Canberra on 8 May 2015:

Non-Government Organisation Submissions

8. The following list of organisations made written submissions on the draft CERD report in between May and July 2015: