Australia denies support Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Loop: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk http://www.smh.com.au/news/0009/28/national/national5.html Discrimination treaty falls short of becoming law after Australia denies support By Mark Riley, Herald Correspondent in New York An international treaty protecting women from discrimination has fallen one signature short of becoming law after Australia refused to support it in protest at the UN committee system. The optional protocol was offered for signing and ratification at a treaty ceremony arranged by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, during the recent millennium summit in New York. Nine countries have ratified the protocol - one short of the number needed. UN officials said they were confident a 10th country would show its support but voiced disappointment that this did not occur during the summit. Nations usually sign a treaty to show their initial agreement, then ratify it once they have the backing of their parliaments to formally commit to the treaty's principles. Australia has neither signed nor ratified the Optional Protocol to the Treaty on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which seeks to establish a committee to hear complaints from women who can not find remedies within their own countries. This is despite the country playing a central role in the drafting of the treaty, which aims principally to protect women subjected to the abuse of dictatorial and fundamentalist regimes. The Prime Minister, Mr Howard, decided not to attend the three-day treaty ceremony at the millennium summit where 85 countries signed or recommitted themselves to 40 different treaties in a symbol of international unity. Instead, he used his speech to the summit and a 10-minute meeting with Mr Annan to voice his protest at the way the UN treaties system operates. This follows the Government's anger over a succession of reports by committees overseeing adherence to the treaties, which have criticised Australia's record on Aboriginal health, mandatory sentencing and asylum-seekers. In his final address to the millennium summit, Mr Annan devoted special praise to the countries which had committed themselves to the various human rights treaties. Mr Annan said that their actions in taking part in the treaty signing ceremony had "reaffirmed the vital importance of international law, which is the common language of our international community". -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
