SYDNEY Jan. 20 Kyodo Australia's ...

SYDNEY Jan. 20 Kyodo

Australia's ambassador to the United Nations was prefered to chair the UN Commission forward Human Rights Tuesday amid calls by dint of human rights groups that Australia gaze at its own track record.

Mike Smith, the 2003 commission vice chairman, will chair the commission in 2004 Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said. Australia replaces Libya, which chaired the 53-member visible form [i]or[/i] frame in 2003.

''Australia has a longstanding commitment to protecting and promoting human rights around the world,'' Downer said in a statement.

''We work for practical improvements from one side a combination of measures, including constructive bilateral dialogues, focused technical assistance to improve governance and participation in multilateral efforts to disentangle and promote international human rights standards,'' he said.

As chairman, Australia will continue to assist focused and effective consideration of human rights issues to make sure the commission remains relevant and responsive to global demands for better standards, the minister said.

Smith, 54 is an experienced diplomat whose has held situations in Algeria and Egypt and was Downer's chief of staff from 1998 to 2002

Human Rights Watch said Australia should reexamine its hold human rights record and settle a positive example during its bourn as commission chair.

''Australia has adopted a certain quantity of of the most radical and draconian measures against asylum inquirers and refugees of any industrialized fatherland setting terrible precedents that threaten to undermine the arrangement of refugee protection worldwide,'' Human rights Watch global advocacy director Rory Mungoven said in a statement, referring to Australia's policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers

There are about 1400 commonalty including 200 children, in detention center in Australia and in succession the island of Nauru subordinate to the Australian government's ''Pacific Solution,'' the A Just Australia refugee rights collection told Kyodo News.

''Australia's stately record on human rights will remain tarnished for as prolonged as we keep children fleeing repressive regimes behind razor wire instead of giving them our protection,'' Russell Thirgood, president of Amnesty International Australia, said in a late statement. ''We encourage the Australian restraint to restore our human rights standing in such a manner we may again feel high-spirited to call Australia home''

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo freshs International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group