Australia figures in the report over its asylum-seeker policies, domestic violence against women and discrimination against Indigenous people.
But Australia compares well to some mentioned in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014, released by the US State Department.
The United States has released its long-delayed annual human rights report, with some of the harshest criticism reserved for countries including Iran and Cuba.
But US Secretary of State John Kerry says his own country's record over the past year in terms of racial unrest means the U-S is releasing this report with a sense of humility.
"Truth cannot be successfully evaded, or dented, or defeated - not over time. So my advice to any leader who is upset by these findings and to recognise that the way to alter what the world thinks, and the way to change these judgments is to alter what is happening in those countries. That is the advice that we also give to ourselves. There's nothing sanctimonious in this. There is zero arrogance, and we couldn't help but have humility, what we have seen in the last year in terms of racial discord and unrest. So we approach this with great self-awareness."
Australia's record is examined, with domestic violence, the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders, and Australia's asylum seeker policies highlighted.
Ben Schokman is the Director of International Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre.
He says the report is fair and balanced about rights around the world, and its assessment of Australia is also fair and balanced.
"Generally speaking it's a positive report, as it quite rightly should be. It identifies Australia as a strong liberal democratic country, we have free and fair elections, we have democratic institutions, independent courts, a free media but it does also mention that there are a number of human rights challenges that we face, I mean they relate most specifically to the rights of asylum seekers, to the rights of Australia's Indigenous peoples, and domestic violence and against women and children. I think they're clearly some of the major issues. There are obviously a number of other issues that affect a number of other marginalised and disadvantaged groups in Australia."
On asylum seeker policy, the report points to the speech last year from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
It stated that Australia's policies were "leading to a chain of human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and possible torture" for asylum seekers following their return to home countries.
Vivien Tan is the spokeswoman for UNHCR's Asia-Pacific Office.
She's acknowledged the complexity of asylum seeker policy for the Australian government, but told SBS the welfare of asylum seekers processed overseas is an issue of ongoing concern.
"Actions must be taken to save lives at sea, however we're not sure the current approach is a sustainable one because it doesn't allow people seeking asylum to actually access asylum. And our position has always been that people should have their asylum cases processed where they arrive. And they shouldn't be pushed from one country to another and in the process endanger their lives further. At this time of mass displacement countries, should really should be trying to share the responsibility and not shift the responsibility of caring for refugees."
The report also cites reports and arrests for anti-Semitism in Australia, examples of government corruption, age discrimination and the Western Australian Inspector of Custodial Services description of conditions at the Roebourne Regional Prison in Western Australia as "intolerable and inhumane".
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