The government must immediately urge the US to rescind its sanction on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, according to Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson Patricia Stephenson.
Senator Stephenson said:
“UN Special Rapporteurs are independent experts charged with upholding human rights – Francesca Albanese is peerless when it comes to highlighting states’ obligations to protect the human rights of Palestinians living in the occupied territories.
“After failing to remove Ms Albanese from her post, the US has thrown a tantrum and imposed sanctions, all because she was doing her job.
“The Trump administration has facilitated a genocide being perpetrated by Israel – and these sanctions are efforts to bully its critics into silence.
“The US has gone rogue – its absence from the UN Human Rights Council this year while welcoming a war criminal like Benjamin Netanyahu is particularly jarring.
“These actions are purposeful, aimed at discrediting institutions like the UNHRC and the International Criminal Court.
“The US is intent on ripping up the international rules-based order and writing their own rules.
“Attempting to silence a figure who is doing nothing more than promoting peace and justice sets an incredibly dangerous precedent.
“It is imperative that Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris raises this issue with the American Ambassador and urge the US to reverse its imposition. Francesca Albanese deserves our full support.”
July 10th, 2025