Former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has been appointed Australia’s Special Envoy for International Human Rights, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying he will help “renew Australia’s tradition as a global champion for human rights”.
Announcing the appointment on Friday, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said Dreyfus would lead Australia’s international advocacy on long-standing priorities, including the abolition of the death penalty and the protection of vulnerable groups such as children, older people, people with disability and LGBTIQ+ communities.
“Mark Dreyfus is one of the most accomplished and widely respected parliamentarians of recent decades,” the leaders said, adding that his reputation would enable him to work closely with counterparts across the region “as they advance their countries’ human rights agendas”.
Dreyfus, a King’s Counsel and long-serving MP for Isaacs in Victoria, has held senior roles across two Labor governments, including Attorney-General, Cabinet Secretary, Special Minister of State and Minister for Emergency Management. Before entering parliament in 2007, he built a distinguished 20-year career as a barrister.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said his “wealth of experience and outstanding credentials” made him ideally placed to represent Australia internationally while continuing in his parliamentary role.
Dreyfus entered parliament in 2007 and has been re-elected at every election since. Over his career, he has chaired key parliamentary committees and served in a range of shadow portfolios, including Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for National Security.
He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1999 and previously worked as a solicitor, ministerial adviser and field officer for the Northern Land Council in Darwin. Born in Perth in 1956, he holds degrees in arts and law from the University of Melbourne.
The Division of Isaacs, which he represents, covers parts of the Kingston and Greater Dandenong council areas in Melbourne’s south-east, with light manufacturing, aviation and retail among its main industries.
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