UN visit must be turning point for First Nations rights, Amnesty International and Change the Record warn

2 November 2026

Ahead of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples' official visit, Amnesty International Australia and Change the Record are calling on the Australian Government to answer international scrutiny with real commitments to improve its human rights performance in the treatment of First Nations people.

UN Special Rapporteur Dr Albert K. Barume will visit Australia from 2-13 November, providing a critical opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to speak directly about the human rights violations facing their communities, and for the Australian Government to be held accountable for its international human rights obligations.

This visit, the first in nine years, comes amid growing national and international scrutiny of Australia's treatment of First Nations peoples, particularly the escalating criminalisation and incarceration of First Nations children, and the disproportionate violence experienced by First Nations women and girls.

The organisations are urging the Albanese Government to commit to a timely, public and substantive response to the Special Rapporteur's findings and recommendations when his report is released, including a clear plan for implementation developed in genuine partnership with First Nations communities.

Uncle Rodney Dillon, respected Palawa Elder from Tasmania and the Indigenous Rights Advisor for Amnesty International Australia said:

"This visit is an opportunity for our communities to tell the truth about what is happening to our people, and for the world to hear it. Our children are being locked up, our women and girls continue to face unacceptable levels of violence, and governments are failing to address the systemic racism driving these injustices."

"Our communities have been calling for change for decades. We know what the solutions are, and governments have the evidence they need to act. What we need now is political will.

"The Australian Government must listen to our people, take the Special Rapporteur's findings seriously and commit to meaningful action. We cannot afford another report that sits on a shelf while our people continue to suffer."

In May 2025, UN human rights experts raised their "most heightened alarm" over Australia's youth justice systems, warning about increasingly punitive laws and the disproportionate impact on First Nations children.

Australia also faced renewed international scrutiny during its Universal Periodic Review in January 2026, when 40 countries called for the minimum age of criminal responsibility to be raised to at least 14. The Albanese Government subsequently declined to accept 204 of the 332 recommendations made during the review.

Change the Record CEO, Jade Lane said:

"First Nations communities are tired of governments performing support while their policy stays committed to the status quo.

"Nine years ago, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples clearly stated that the policies of the Australian Government do not respect our right to self-determination and directly fuel escalating rates of incarceration and child removal in our communities. Now almost a decade later, little has changed."

This visit must be a wakeup call to Australian governments, who have the power to stop the harm being done to our communities and to respect the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

In March 2026, Change the Record wrote to the Special Rapporteur to highlight the mass criminalisation and incarceration of First Nations peoples, including escalating rates of children and women in detention, and the disproportionate levels of violence experienced by First Nations women and girls.

Both organisations are calling on federal, state and territory governments to uphold their international human rights obligations, address systemic and structural racism, and ensure First Nations peoples are central to decisions affecting their lives.

Background

• Dr Albert K. Barume, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, is scheduled to visit Australia from 2-13 November 2026.

• This will be the first visit to Australia by a UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples since 2017.

• The visit is expected to examine issues including self-determination, justice and incarceration, child protection, land and cultural rights, and the rights of First Nations women and girls.

• In March 2026, Change the Record made a submission highlighting the escalating criminalisation and incarceration of First Nations peoples and violence against First Nations women and girls.

• Following the visit, the Special Rapporteur is expected to prepare a report with findings and recommendations for consideration by the UN Human Rights Council.

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