August 2024: Commission News | President's message
Commission – General
Dear friends,
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a vital national institution which has been promoting justice and human rights for Australians for close to forty years. It is an honour to write to you as the Commission’s new President.
The Commission has a proud track record of bringing about positive nationwide change through its many inquiries, from the 1997 Bringing Them Home inquiry into the Stolen Generations to the more recent Respect@Work inquiry into sexual harassment.
Perhaps less well known is the Commission’s critical daily work delivering access to justice. Through its accessible information and conciliation services, each year the Commission helps thousands of people across Australia to access information about their rights and seek remedies for unlawful discrimination and human rights breaches.
Where conciliation takes place, on average around two thirds of complaints are resolved by agreement, avoiding the need for often costly and stressful court proceedings. Many conciliation outcomes are systemic, contributing to the broader social change objectives of anti-discrimination laws.
The Commission also delivers important human rights education, training around 7,000 people last year. The Commission contributes its expertise through submissions and other publications to help ensure that laws, policies and practices promote human rights.
Human rights are the blueprint for a decent, dignified life for all. When human rights are respected, our lives are better and our communities are stronger, healthier, safer and more prosperous.
Australia played an important role in establishing the United Nations and the international human rights framework. We helped to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the pinnacles of human achievement
As a prosperous, stable democracy, Australia can and should be leading the world on human rights. We must do better on a range of issues; including our treatment of First Nations people, people with disability, and refugees and people seeking asylum. We need to address rising antisemitism and Islamophobia. We need to ensure that everyone can access decent education, housing and healthcare. We need to address the growing human rights threats posed by climate change and new technologies.
There are many opportunities to better protect the rights of all. The Commission, under Professor Croucher’s leadership, made significant progress in advancing the case for a Human Rights Act and modernised, comprehensive and effective national anti-discrimination laws. The Commission’s landmark Free and Equal Report highlights the inadequacy of existing protections and provides a roadmap for reform.
Across the country, support for a national Human Rights Act is strong. A Human Rights Act will protect the rights of all Australians, promote better understanding of rights, and give people the power to take action if their rights are breached. It will help ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. I look forward to working in my new role with the Australian Government to make a Human Rights Act a reality.
Hugh de Kretser
