Just time for a quick shop before heading for the airport and home. This week has been successful on a number of counts, not least the shopping!
But this has been more than a shopping expedition in sunny Sydney. It has been very rewarding to be able to attend the Asia Pacific Forum of Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) twelfth annual meeting, hosted by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. I particularly valued the opportunity to contribute to the panel on disability rights and the Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and encouraging to find other institutions, often in really difficult circumstances, prepared to travel the road to disability rights. Spending time among human rights professionals who are passionate about what they do, and focused on the issues is a good recharge of the batteries. It doesn’t mean that everyone agrees on everything, but it does mean that everyone is focused on human rights.
Great to have the conference in the same hotel we stayed in. Terrific hospitality – I can peel prawns very quickly and easily after so much practice! It was lovely to be welcomed to Australia by the people of the land, and to be part of the smoking ceremony which meant that the evil spirits would leave and we would be accepted among the local people. This was followed by an evening of song and dance with a blend of ancient and modern which was quite breathtaking. The harbour cruise was spectacular, and warmer than it would be on the Wellington harbour even in the middle of summer.
Also I got to catch up with some people I really like and respect who I met in New York during the Convention negotiations. It’s good to keep the international networks alive.
