The Olympic profile puts Aboriginal issues on the international stage: let's resolve them in that light

The committee on economic, social and cultural rights has criticised the handling of our rights to self-determination, property and cultural survival. This is the third time this year that a UN committee has condemned the Howard government and called for changes in policies and legislation.

The government ‘s response was predictable. It has been unable to prosecute its case before the United Nations so it now condemns the UN under the guise of a cabinet review of its committee system.

Clearly, it is moving away from accountability to the human rights treaties, all of which have been progressively and painstakingly negotiated and ratified following the Second World War.

The Prime Minister says these matters ought to be resolved Australian to Australian. It appears we are moving from being a principal supports of the United Nations to a position first adopted by One Nation. This may play well in the Australia’s political hinterland but it will not win support in the international community.

The government has hinted that its position is condoned within the C.A.N.Z.U.S. ‘block’ – Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United States - but in reality these ‘partner’ countries are increasingly disturbed by the hostile strategies of the Australian government to Aboriginal issues.

Only the United States, which favours its constitution and bill of rights over the UN human rights treaties, holds similar reservations in the UN human rights system, but it is not likely that the United States would align with Australia’s position or strategy.

The Howard government has had some success winding back national sympathy for Aboriginal issues, simply by blaming the victims for their plights, creating an image of a greedy, insidious, and costly aboriginal welfare industry, and enticing public self-interest with promises of increases in personal wealth.

The effects of the past five years of government policies have been catastrophic for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a lowering in household incomes and a crippling of community infrastructure.

These environmental factors increase the incidence of violence and injury, imprisonment, and social and family breakdown.

These effects are going largely unnoticed in the wider community because of the inabilities of government and disinterest, and the absence of national structures and systems to monitor, detect and measure changes in aboriginal disadvantage.

All three treaty bodies made these observations during their considerations of Australia’s reports.

However the Howard government may be overplaying its hand by attacking the UN treaty body system and threatening withdrawal from the processes.