The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people; the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the rights to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context; and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued the following statement today:

We warmly welcome the speech delivered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the Federal Parliament on 13 February 2008, offering an apology to Australia's indigenous peoples for the pain and indignity they have endured as a consequence of past laws and policies. We are specially moved by the apology offered to the members of the Stolen Generation and their families, victims of a deliberate policy of assimilation of the Aboriginal culture that contradicted the basic human rights principles of equality and dignity. We welcome the Australian Government's commitment to build a common future with the indigenous peoples of the country based on mutual respect. Australia's efforts to acknowledge historical injustices and to promote reconciliation set an example of how to enhance harmonious and cooperative relationships between indigenous peoples and States, in the spirit of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This apology will strengthen the moral fabric of the country and reinforce the Aboriginal contribution to Australian society.

GENEVA: The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will undertake an official mission to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, from 19 February to 3 March, in order to visit prisons, children's re-education centres, detention centres for illegal immigrants and police stations in the capital Nouakchott and three other cities.

The Working Group, which is responding to an invitation by the Mauritanian government, will meet with executive, legislative and judicial authorities, including magistrates, judges, and lawyers. Meetings will also be held with representatives of various civil society institutions and non-governmental organizations.

Committee Elects New Bureau; Hears Address by Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning opened its seventy-second session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, during which it will review the reports of Fiji, Italy, the United States, Belgium, Nicaragua, Moldova and the Dominican Republic on how those countries are fulfilling their obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Committee also heard an address by a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, updating members on developments since their last session.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour arrives today in the Republic of Slovenia on an official visit in the context of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

In the capital Ljubljana, the High Commissioner will meet with the President of Slovenia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and other government representatives, the country's human rights Ombudsperson and with non-governmental organizations.

The High Commissioner will end her visit to Slovenia on 31 January.