Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA) is proud to have co-signed the Joint NGO Report on behalf of the Australian NGO Coalition ahead of Australia’s upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by the United Nations Human Rights Council – an international process that evaluates how well countries are protecting and promoting human rights.
With over 100 non-government organisations (NGOs) endorsing the submission, the message to the Australian Government is loud and clear: Australia must do better. The absence of a federal Human Rights Act leaves too many people including those living with psychosocial disability without the legal protection they deserve.
“Australia has made international promises, but we have yet to enshrine those commitments into enforceable domestic law,” said CMHA CEO Kerry Hawkins.
“A Human Rights Act is a vital step to bridge that gap, and ensure every person regardless of ability, culture, background or postcode can live a life of dignity, inclusion and safety,” she added.
The submission calls for a national Human Rights Act to be enacted within two years. This is not simply a legislative exercise it’s about embedding respect, autonomy and fairness into the systems that affect people’s everyday lives. For those living with psychosocial disability, whose experiences are often shaped by discrimination, coercion, or exclusion, the stakes could not be higher.
“A national Human Rights Act would provide the impetus to help transform the Australian mental health system into one that is human-centred, connected, and grounded in rights,” Kerry said.
This call for reform aligns with Australia’s endorsement of the 2023 UN General Assembly Resolution on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, which reinforced the importance of shifting away from outdated models of care and toward approaches that address the underlying determinants of mental health, provide effective community-based supports and respect individual autonomy for people with psychosocial disabilities
Australia cannot continue to fall short.
CMHA urges the government to take immediate steps toward legislative reform and systemic change starting with a federal Human Rights Act that protects, includes, and empowers all Australians.
“A national Human Rights Act is not optional, it’s a necessary foundation for a fairer, more inclusive Australia,” said Kerry.
Download here: Joint NGO Report on behalf of the Australian NGO Coalition