The Wire

Australia’s handling of racial discrimination will be under the spotlight tomorrow in Geneva when the nation’s Ambassador to the UN, Mike Smith, fronts the United Nation’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, known as CERD. Australia was first asked to explain its race polices in 2000 when there was major concern over mandatory sentencing and the high rate of imprisonment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Spokesperson for the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action, Les Malezer, says CERD Committee members have given observations on a range of issues: from native title to concern about the refugee situation in Australia.