Human rights & International links
The following page is still under development. It contains items from the SNAICC Online News and material from the SNAICC Newsletter relating to SNAICC's conversations with international advocates for Indigenous children and families:
- A mixed report card: UN’s Report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s human rights released
- SNAICC Chair selected for international human rights post
- Celebrate the 20th anniversary UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Cindy Blackstock speaks - Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada 2009
- The Canadian First Nations human rights challenge against the Canadian Government
- A SNAICC history - a conversation between Muriel Bamblett & Julian Pocock: including some reflections on SNAICC's work in the international stage 1996 onwards
A mixed report card: UN’s Report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s human rights released
News Item 10 March 2010: A report including the observations of the Special Rapporteur, Professor James Anaya, on the situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia has been released. It is based on the visit from the Special Rapporteur to Australia last year in August.Self determination, strengthening of cultural bonds and social and economic wellbeing are key to addressing Indigenous disadvantage in Australia, found the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights & fundamental freedoms of indigenous people,
SNAICC Chair selected for international human rights post
News item 11 December 2009 SNAICC is honoured to announce that Steve Larkins, as Chair of SNAICC, has been selected as the next Co-convenor of the Indigenous Sub Group of NGO Group on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. "This is an important time for SNAICC to move into human rights” said Steve Larkins, "and a wonderful opportunity to represent our children’s interests at an international level." The Indigenous Sub Group:
- Is a sub-group of the NGO Group (a body comprising international NGOs) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC). The NGO Group was established to assist the monitoring body of the CROC (the Committee on the Convention of the Rights of the Child) by facilitating NGO voices.
- The Sub-Group is primarily a knowledge sharing and networking avenue, not a representative body.
- The CROC is an international treaty which the Australian Government (and all UN Members except USA and Somalia) has signed and is required to reflect and implement in domestic laws and policies.
Further information on the CROC see SNAICC News item 02 November 2009 or visit the CROC - NGO Working Group
Celebrate the 20th anniversary UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
02 November 2009: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, reaches its Twentieth Anniversary of the date on which in 1989, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to adopt the Convention and to open it for ratification by Member States.
Cindy Blackstock speaks - Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada 2009
Cindy Blackstock spoke at a seminar in Melbourne on 14 August 2009 hosted by SNAICC and the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare. Cindy is the Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and co-convenor of the Indigenous Working Group of the NGO Sub Group on the Convention on Rights of the Child. Cindy is a charismatic and powerful speaker, a creative and effective advocate for First Nations people in Canada and an insp irational international Indigenous leader.
Those at the seminar were privileged to spend a few hours with Cindy listening to and learning from her. The seminar was recorded for those unable to attend and is now available thanks to the Aboriginal Program on SBS radio. (Thanks to Artan Jama SBS radio.)
- Audio - Cindy Blackstock speech [MP3 - 80.4MB]
- Audio - Cindy Blackstock Q&A [MP3 - 52.2MB]
- First Nations - Child Welfare in Canada - Slide presentation [PDF 709 KB]
SNAICC has been following the Canadian First Nations human rights challenge against the Canadian Government and is a signatory to the I am A Witness Campaign. This campaign has been lead by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. To follow these developments in SNAICC News see:
- First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada compliant has been delayed again 04 Feb 2010
- Tribunal rules that First Nations children’s rights case must be heard 03 December 2009
- A delay for the Canadian First Nations children’s rights 10 November 2009
- Canadian Human Rights Tribunal is underway 15 September 2009
Muriel Bamblett AM stood down as SNAICC Chairperson in November 2008 and Julian Pocock resigned as SNAICC Executive Officer in May 2009. In honour of their joint ten year leadership work with SNAICC, SNAICC Newsletter (September edition) recorded a conversation between Julian and Muriel, including some thought provoking reflections on SNAICC's international alliances, covering 26 years of SNAICC history from two advocates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.
