NO DATE
20 March 1973
GOVERNMENT TO ACT ON CONVENTIONS
OPPOSING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
On the occasion of the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Whitlam, has reaffirmed
that the Government was resolved to ratify the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
as soon as the necessary legislative and other
measures could be completed.
Mr Whitlam said that as a result of the Sharpeville
tragedy in 1960, the United Nations had decided to mark 21
March each year as a day on which the world should fix its
attention on the urgent need to eliminate racial discrimination
wherever it existed.
Mr Whitlam said that the Government had approved
the introduction of the legislation to enable Australia to
give effect to the Convention and this would be introduced
shortly. A bill was already before Parliament aimed at
repealing Section 64 of the Migration Act which was the
last remaining piece ( of Commonwealth legislation that could
be described as discriminatory on racial grounds.
2.
Mr Whitlam said that the Government's intention
to ratify the Convention of the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination was in line with earlier positive steps taken
by Australia since December last year.
He recalled that soon after the Government had
assumed office, Australia, for the first time, had contributed
to the United Nations Educational and Training
Programme for Southern Africa, the United Nations Trust
Fund for South Africa and the United Nations Fund for Namibia.@
The Government's decision to deny racially selected
sports teams the right to visit or transit Australia
could also be seen in this light.
Mr Whitlam said that in order to pave the way for
ratification he had sought the co-operation of the Premiers
of Queensland and Western Australia in giving high priority
to the removal of the remaining minor pieces of discriminatory
legislation in those States.