As the 2025 election campaign officially kicks off, Amnesty International Australia calls political parties and candidates to place human rights at the heart of all election proposals and promises.
Globally, human rights are under siege. Authoritarian governments are expanding their grip, violating international law with impunity. Institutions meant to safeguard fundamental freedoms — including the United Nations — are facing unprecedented challenges.
“The recent US election shows how quickly the rights of women, migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum, transgender people and religious minorities can come under attack, and to devastating effect,” says Amnesty International Australia National Director Samantha Klintworth.
“Australians must ensure that we do not head down the American path of human rights attacks.”
“Australia has a choice: to become complicit in a global trend of human rights regression or to step up as a force for justice, fairness, and human dignity.”
Amnesty International Australia National Director Samantha Klintworth
“Australia must lead, not just follow other countries in protecting the global human rights system and fiercely protect the human rights of all people here at home.”
Amnesty International Australia will work through the election campaign to call on all political parties and candidates to:
- Legislate a national Human Rights Act that transforms Australia’s approach to human rights, justice and equality.
- Take federal leadership in reducing the over-imprisonment of First Nations children and preventing abuse in youth detention centres.
- Adopt a humane and generous policy to support refugees and people seeking asylum.
- Promote and defend international human rights, with particular focus on the human rights abuses occurring in Gaza, China, Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Download Amnesty International Australia’s full Human Rights Agenda for the 2025 election here.
Amnesty Australia is also calling on all political parties and candidates to commit to an election campaign free of racism, division and misinformation and disinformation.
“It’s long been typical of election campaigns that politicians from many different parties will seek to demonise people from racial or religious minorities, refugee backgrounds or people on visas as political footballs. This must not happen again,” says Ms Klintworth.
“Amnesty Australia calls on all political parties, candidates and commentators to approach issues around people who have fled conflict and persecution with dignity and respect, protecting Australia’s proud multicultural society.”
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
Act now or learn more about our human rights work.
