Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(l) recognises 26 June 2015 as the 70th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter (Charter) at San Francisco;

(2) notes that:

(a) Australia was one of the 50 nations which signed the Charter that established the United Nations organisation;

(b) the United Nations came into being on 24 October 1945, a date that recognises each year as United Nations Day; and

(c) the signatories to the Charter agreed to:

  (i) save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind;

  (ii) reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small;

  (iii) establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained; and

  (iv) promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom; and

  (v) achieve these ends, to:

  -practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours;

  -unite our strength to maintain international peace and security;

  -ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest; and

  -employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples; and

(3) calls on all Members and Senators in the Australian Parliament to celebrate the achievements of the United Nations over the last 70 years.

This motion recognises that, on 26 June 1945, Australia was one of the 50 nations which signed the charter which established the United Nations organisation. With the end of the Second World War, there was a sense of urgency across all nations that there needed to be a better way of resolving conflict, which, during the war, had destroyed the lives of millions of people across a number of continents. So we acknowledge the 70th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter. Every day the United Nations makes a positive difference for millions of people by vaccinating children, distributing food aid, sheltering refugees, deploying peacekeepers, protecting the environment, seeking a peaceful resolution of disputes, supporting democratic elections, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law.

The theme of this anniversary year is 'Strong UN. Better World'. I had the privilege, for about three months at the end of last year, to work directly with the Australian mission to the UN in New York working with the United Nations General Assembly and its various committees. That gave me a very keen appreciation of the fact that, while there is a lot to do to make sure that the UN is as efficient and effective as it can be, it is the best that we have globally and it would be unlikely to be cobbled together any time in the foreseeable future, if there were, for some miraculous reason, the dissolution or disappearance of the United Nations.

In particular, I want to commend the adoption of the resolution by the United Nations creating the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which occurred just a few days ago, on 19 June 2015. On 19 June, we recognised the effort to boost the global fight against the horrors faced by women and girls in zones of conflict worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly has approved by consensus a new resolution to commemorate every 19 June as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. This is a mark of the concern that the United Nations membership has for the evolution of warfare, where the most horrific crimes against women and girls are now more likely. In a statement made at the time, the President of the General Assembly, Sam Kutesa, who directed this resolution, said:

Together, we must prioritize prevention and response efforts, empower victims, provide comprehensive assistance and shift the stigma of shame from the victims of these crimes to those who commit them and condone them.

He also said:

Rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict constitute grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law …

Unfortunately, it is a growing way in which terrorists and failed states try to intimidate and bring about their own rule of law.

Young people in particular are suffering terrible atrocities. We cannot forget the kidnapped girls in Chibok, Nigeria, or the students killed in Kenya and Pakistan by extremists. Unfortunately, violent extremism is a growing and global threat. The Middle East is becoming more unstable. The prospects of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine are tragically becoming more distant. We are in the fifth year of a devastating crisis in Syria, with more than 220,000 people having been killed. In Yemen, more than 18 million people are caught up in a terrible conflict, with some 12 million people without food and shelter. There is terrible suffering of civilians, particularly women and girls.

In relation to the resolution to create annual recognition of the plight of women and girls in conflict, let me remind you that a particularly horrific situation exists in the Middle East conflicts, where, for example, ISIL is allegedly issuing a regulation setting out the prices to be paid for Yazidi and Christian girls. The amounts vary according to the age of the woman or girl. The promise of sexual access to women and girls has been used in ISIL propaganda materials as part of their recruitment strategy. An estimated 1,500 civilians may have been forced into sexual slavery. This is a most horrific circumstance, and the UN is going to be making sure its eradication is at the forefront of providing a better life for all. I commend this motion to the House.

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