Marist180 endorses Joint NGO Report to the UN
Marist180 has joined over 50 civil society organisations in endorsing the Joint NGO Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Australia’s human rights record, released on Monday.
Coordinated by the Human Rights Law Centre and other leading advocacy groups, the report, presents a sobering assessment of Australia’s regression on key human rights commitments from a failure to address systemic barriers for children and young people, to the treatment of refugees and First Nations peoples.
Marist180 is calling for urgent action to protect the rights of children and young people, who are too often overlooked in national conversations about justice, equity, and reform.
“This is an opportunity for the Australian Government to show global leadership by genuinely listening to the calls from the NGO sector and committing to improve human rights and uphold international standards at home,” said Mr Peter Monaghan, CEO, Marist180.
The report is timely given the face of the systemic failures impacting young people:
Over 45,000 children are currently in out-of-home care, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children making up 41% of that number despite representing only 6% of the child population.
Young people aged 12–24 make up nearly a quarter of Australia’s homeless population, despite being just 12% of the total population.
Children in detention are disproportionately First Nations, often held in conditions that breach international human rights standards.
“These statistics reflect deep structural issues — not failures of young people, but failures of the systems designed to support them”
“These statistics reflect deep structural issues — not failures of young people, but failures of the systems designed to support them,” said Mr Monaghan. “We see firsthand the impact of these gaps, and we believe Australia’s human rights commitments must include a stronger focus on the wellbeing of children and young people.”
Marist180 urges the Australian Government to act on the report’s recommendations and ensure that young people are not left behind in the pursuit of a fairer, more inclusive society.
This call aligns with Pope Leo XIV’s message to the Second Annual Rome Conference on Artificial Intelligence, which was held last month, on Friday June 20.
"Our youth," he insisted, "must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility," underscoring they "are our hope for the future."
"Society’s well-being," he observed, "depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities, and to respond to the demands of the times and the needs of others with a free and generous spirit."
📘 Read the full report: Joint NGO Submission to the UPR
Jane Powles, Partnerships and Advocacy Coordinator, and
Patrick O’Reilly, Director Mission, Inclusion and Identity