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The NCCA gathers together Churches and Christian communities which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures. We commit to deepen our relationship with each other and to work together towards the fulfilment of common witness, proclamation and service, to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

MEDIA RELEASE August 2025

Churches Urge Action on Australia’s Human Rights Record ahead of UN Review

Ahead of Australia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in January 2026, the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) and the World Council of Churches have jointly submitted a comprehensive report highlighting both progress and persistent human rights challenges.

The joint Councils’ submission draws on the lived experience of communities across Australia and research by the social agencies of Australia’s churches on priority community concerns —especially with those working with people facing injustice and exclusion.

“Christians believe the human person is made in the image and likeness of God, called to be fully human and fully alive, with an inherent dignity from which flows human rights that are inalienable and universal. The protection of human rights then is an important part of the Churches’ mission”, said Rev. John Gilmore, President of NCCA.

“We welcome the opportunity to offer these reflections and recommendations on the state of human rights in Australia”, he said.

Key human rights concerns raised include:

  • Climate change as a human rights crisis: Despite progress on carbon emissions, Australia’s continued fossil fuel expansion undermines global climate goals, and First Nations and Pacific communities face growing displacement due to climate impacts.
  • First Nations injustice: Indigenous Australians remain the most incarcerated people on earth. The failure of the Voice referendum must not stall progress on truth-telling, treaty, and genuine self-determination. The report acknowledges progress on Indigenous education enrolments.
  • Asylum seekers and refugees: Harsh policies toward people seeking asylum—particularly those arriving by sea—continue to breach international obligations, with thousands still living in limbo.
  • Housing and homelessness: One in 122,000 people are homeless on any given night, with unaffordability pushing more Australians into poverty. The Churches call for the right to a home to underpin housing policy.
  • Gender-based violence: There is growing public awareness, welcome legal reforms and funding for domestic violence. However, one woman is killed every nine days. Governments must do more to address violence, especially against Indigenous women.
  • The right to peace: As global conflict intensifies, Australia must prioritise peacebuilding, reconsider AUKUS commitments, and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“This is a time for moral leadership,” said Rev. John Gilmore, President of the NCCA. “Australia has made progress in key areas, but we must go further and ensure that every person’s dignity and rights are upheld, respected. Our collective future depends on it.”

A copy of the report is available below:

Media Contact Email: secretariat@ncca.org.au