Mr Melham asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 10 March 1998:

Will he bring up to date the answer to question No. 1250 (Hansard , 14 May 1997, page 3653), concerning Australia's periodic reports to UN bodies under the six major human rights conventions.

Mr Williams (Attorney-General) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

Instrument: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Reporting Period: First report due November 1981 and thereafter every five years.

Current status: Third report due 1991. Fourth report due 1996. The Third and Fourth reports have been approved by the Attorney-General and should be lodged with the United Nations in the near future.

Department responsible: Attorney-General's Department

Instrument: Convention on the Rights of the Child

Reporting Period: First report due January 1993 and thereafter every five years.

Current status: First report submitted January 1996 and was considered in September 1997. Informal advice from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is that Australia's next report is not due until September 2002, that is five years from the date of consideration of Australia' s first report. My Department is seeking written confirmation of that advice from the Committee.

Department responsible: Attorney-General's Department

Instrument: Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Reporting Period: First report due September 1990 and thereafter every four years.

Current status: Second report due September 1994. Second report was drafted and sent for comment to States and Territories and non-government sector. The draft report was revised on the basis of comments received from the States and Territories and non-government sector. A revised draft is currently being prepared.

Instrument: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Reporting Period: Reports due every five years. Third periodic report on Articles 1—1 5 due June 1 994.

Current status: Third report has been finalised and transmitted to the United Nations on 19 June 1998.

Department responsible: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Instrument: International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Reporting Period: First report due October 1976 and thereafter every four years.

Current status: Ninth report considered August 1994. Tenth report due 1994. Eleventh report due 1996. Twelfth report due 1998. It has been decided that a combined tenth and eleventh and twelfth report will be submitted by October 1998. Work on the draft report is progressing to schedule.

Department responsible: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Instrument: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Reporting Period: First report due August 1984 and thereafter every four years.

Current status: Second report considered 1994. Third report due 1994. Third report submitted in 1994 as a supplement to second report and recognised in 1995 as the third report which was considered in 1997. A combined fourth and fifth report will be submitted in 2000.

Department responsible: Office of the Status of Women, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.