UN Shadow Reports

Australia has signed several international human rights treaties. Under some of these important human rights treaties, Australia has an obligation to send a report about its compliance under the treaty to the United Nations. The reports are reviewed by committees of international human rights experts.

The major human rights treaties under which Australia has reporting obligations are:

Treaty	UN Committee
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)	Human Rights Committee
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment	Committee against Torture
Convention on the Rights of the Child	Committee on the Rights of the Child
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination	Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women	Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

Non-government organisations (NGOs) can also submit reports to these UN committees. The reports that NGOs submit called 'Shadow Reports'. These Shadow Reports give an alternative view about Australia's compliance with its treaty obligations. They are called Shadow Reports because they 'shadow' the official report sent to the Committee by the government.

CCL's Shadow Reports

CCL is a non-government organisation (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). As an accredited NGO, CCL is able to submit Shadow Reports to these UN committees.

On 25 July 2007, the full Committee of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties unanimously endorsed CCL's Shadow Report on Australia and Torture. The Shadow Report has been send to the UN Committee against Torture.

Also on 25 July 2007, Australia sent its official report under the ICCPR to the UN. CCL is preparing a Shadow Report on Australia and its Human Rights Record for the UN Human Rights Committee.

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