Submission to the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (Fourth Cycle) into Australia’s Human Rights 2021-2025
The Rationalist Society of Australia spearheaded an effort by non-religious, ex-religious and pro-secular groups (including the National Secular Lobby) to urge the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the discriminatory and unfair treatment of non-religious Australians in government institutions and programs.
The list of endorsing organisations are: Rationalist Society of Australia, Atheist Foundation of Australia; Humanists Australia; Recovering From Religion Australia; National Secular Lobby; Sydney Atheists; Queensland Parents for Secular State Schools; Fairness in Religion in Schools (NSW); and the Secular Association of New South Wales.
The coalition of groups made a submission this month to the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (Fourth Cycle) into Australia’s human rights.
The submission details eight examples of discriminatory and unfair treatment of non-religious people on the grounds of religion and belief, arguing that such cases demonstrate how the continued privileging of religion in public life erects barriers to equal participation and contributes to the alienation of non-religious and ex-religious people.