25 June 2026 – Equality Australia says it’s bitterly disappointing the Federal Government has declined to accept a single LGBTIQ+ recommendation in a United Nations (UN) human rights peer review of Australia.
Australia was reviewed by other member states at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in January as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process.
The UPR provides a comprehensive peer review of each UN member state’s human rights record every four and a half years.
As part of Australia’s fourth UPR, more than 120 countries delivered around 332 recommendations to improve Australia’s human rights protections, including eight recommendations on LGBTIQ+ rights.
These included removing the exemption that allows religious schools to legally discriminate against LGBTIQ+ students and staff, recommended by Belgium, Iceland and Mexico.
Other LGBTIQ+ specific recommendations included public education campaigns to address stigma, a national ban on conversion practices, banning medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children and more general recommendations about protecting our communities from discrimination and violence.
Savanh Tanhchareun, International Advisor at Equality Australia, said the UPR provided an opportunity for countries to listen to the international community and demonstrate leadership on human rights.
“By refusing to accept any of the recommendations about LGBTIQ+ rights, the government has missed an opportunity to show it’s serious about equality, safety and dignity for all Australians,” he said.
“This is bitterly disappointing for everyone in our community and demonstrates an embarrassing lack of care for us on the world stage.”
Mr Tanhchareun said LGBTIQ+ people were the only group for whom the government did not accept a single recommendation. Recommendations were made for children, First Nations Australians, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, older people, people with disabilities and women.
“No other marginalised group has seen recommendations about their lives being wholly ignored like this in the government’s response,” he said.
“The message seems to be that the government thinks there is nothing left to do for the LGBTIQ+ community in Australia.”
Associate Professor Morgan Carpenter, University of Sydney School of Public Health, and InterAction for Health and Human Rights said:
“Harmful, nonconsensual and medically unnecessary surgeries continue to be carried out on intersex children in Australia. The Australian government has declined to recognise this harm and its role in addressing this serious human rights violation.
“Australia is often held up as a leader on intersex issues, yet there is so much work to be done - especially in tackling misinformation and harmful practices. Like-minded countries - as well as community - will be disappointed to see the lack of firm commitments to tackle the work to be done."
Contact: Mike Hitch, mike.hitch@equalityaustralia.org.au
