About a year ago, Professor Ben Saul, one of Australia’s leading human rights lawyers, wrote an academic paper proposing Australia create a themed human rights and international justice ambassador to the UN, based loosely around a role that currently exists in the United States. Australia already has ambassadors for terrorism, women and girls, and the environment, so one specifically targeting human rights makes sense, Saul argued. He wrote to foreign minister Julie Bishop suggesting the idea to her.

And he got a response back.

While he’s on holiday at the moment and can’t access the hard copy, he toldCrikey yesterday, that, from memory, “the gist of her letter in response was that she believed it is unnecessary because Australia’s human rights diplomacy is already adequately well served by our existing embassies, including our mission in Geneva”. Which is why Saul was shocked to hear of Phillip Ruddock’s new position yesterday. It certainly seemed to him the government wasn’t keen on the idea not very long ago.

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