Dear Prime Minister,
I write to you on behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia to commend your Government on its announcement that it will ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).
Since our inauguration 40 years ago as the first church in and of Australia, our Church has maintained a steadfast commitment to justice, peace and human rights.
In the words of our 1977 Statement to the Nation:
We affirm our eagerness to uphold basic Christian values and principles, such as the importance of every human being, the need for integrity in public life, the proclamation of truth and justice, the rights for each citizen to participate in decision-making in the community, religious liberty and personal dignity, and a concern for the welfare of the whole human race.
We pledge ourselves to seek the correction of injustices wherever they occur.
The Optional Protocol is an important mechanism for monitoring and preventing the kind of injustices we have long been concerned about.
We thank you for taking this strong stand against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in detention and prison facilities, and look forward to the Government’s official ratification of the OPCAT.
Peace and grace,
Stuart McMillan
President, Uniting Church in Australia
