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Learn more about how ethical AI, facial recognition and biometrics technologies can embody human rights if designed and deployed appropriately.

This week 100 women, including 85 Kimberley Aboriginal women, gathered for a three-day roundtable to commence development of a regional action plan and establish the Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council. The roundtable, held from May 4-6, 2021, was convened in response to the landmark Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) report released by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner…

More than 1,000 asylum seekers have a greater ability to apply for protection in Australia following a landmark judgment by the Federal Court on Tuesday. “When a person seeks asylum in Australia, it’s vital that their application be processed quickly, fairly and transparently. This judgment will remove administrative barriers for a vulnerable group of people who have been waiting too long to…

The travel ban on Australian citizens returning from India, accompanied by criminal sanctions under the Biosecurity Act, raises serious human rights concerns. The Commission supports the continuation of aid to the Indian Government as it copes with the current COVID-19 crisis, but the Commission holds deep concerns about these extraordinary new restrictions on Australians returning to…

The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for greater accountability to be embedded in laws that extend the Commonwealth’s power in the event of national emergencies. In its submission to a Senate inquiry examining the National Emergency Declaration Act 2020, the Commission recommended five changes to legislation that was enacted by parliament in 2020. Human Rights Commissioner…

National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO have urged all Australian governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility as a matter of priority. A report commissioned by a meeting of Attorneys-General in July last year recommended that all jurisdictions raise the age and ensure younger teenagers…

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the considered and constructive response to the 55 recommendations made in its 2020 Respect@Work Report on the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces. The Report and the Federal Government’s response, with whole of community buy in, paves the way for globally ground-breaking reform on workplace sexual harassment. “The…

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan has launched a plan to establish a National Anti-Racism Framework and has called on the Federal Government to support and implement it. Commissioner Tan released a concept paper detailing key components that need to be included in the Framework and will soon commence a series of roundtables with peak anti-racism organisations to progress…

On International Women’s Day (IWD) the Commission pays tribute to the tireless and important work of First Nations women across Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has called for recognition and celebration of the power and potential of deadly First Nations women all over the country who are leading, nurturing and growing the oldest…

As Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, I welcome today’s announcement from Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham. I acknowledge the importance and urgency of this Independent Review (Review) into the workplaces of Parliamentarians and their staff, established by the Federal Government, in consultation with the Presiding Officers, the Opposition, minor parties and independents. The…

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the publication of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Following the findings and recommendations in the report, released today, the Commission would like to see the human rights of older people embedded in the planning, provision and monitoring of aged care services in Australia. “Older people have the…

A statement from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO: “My heart goes out to the First Nations woman and her daughter who were allegedly attacked on Saturday by a man displaying white supremacist insignia in Perth. A racially-motivated attack is not only a physical assault, it is an attempt to terrorise people for who they are and an attempt to…

The Close the Gap Campaign looks forward to seeing a comprehensive report on the refreshed targets for Closing the Gap by July. The campaign notes today’s announcement that the release of the Closing the Gap data has been pushed back to July in order to allow a full reporting year since the signing of the new National Agreement with the Coalition of Peaks on Closing the Gap. The Close the…

Leading disability rights advocate Rosemary Kayess will give the 2020 Human Rights Day Oration today. Last year’s Human Rights Medal winner, and a contributor to the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Rosemary Kayess will discuss the social transformation of CRPD and the impact it has had on the community as well as her work with the Disability…

A landmark report on Australia’s First Nations women and girls has been released, with an ambitious, female-led plan for structural reform. Wiyi Yani U Thangani—(Women’s Voices)—Securing Our Rights, Securing Our Future Report 2020 is a comprehensive, whole-of-life document and the result of over a hundred engagements with thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls of…

Learn more about how historical bias in data sets can negatively impact developing and deploying ethical AI.

Anne Hollonds has commenced in her role as Australia’s new National Children’s Commissioner. Commissioner Hollonds emphasised the need for greater recognition of the importance of childhood in Australia. “Childhood is quite rightly described as critically important for people's social, health and economic outcomes, but the value of childhood is not only about the future adult that a child…

Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture: Racial Equality in the Time of COVID The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected Australia’s diverse communities. From the racial targeting of Asian Australians to the hard lockdown imposed on residents in Melbourne’s public housing towers, the pandemic has also raised questions about the place of diverse communities in Australian society. The Australian…

The Australian Human Rights Commission and KPMG Banarra are today launching their first of five sector specific guides to help Australian businesses understand and manage their modern slavery risks. Property, Construction and Modern Slavery: Practical responses to managing risks to people, is a practical guide to help this industry respond effectively to the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)…

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of Ms Anne Hollonds to the role of the National Children’s Commissioner. “I am delighted by the appointment of Ms Hollonds to the Australian Human Rights Commission,” said Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM. “On behalf of the Commissioners and staff I warmly welcome Ms Hollonds. She is one of Australia…