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The circumstances of Indigenous peoples were virtually invisible at the United Nations approximately thirty years ago. Very little attention had been devoted to their situation and their claims were by and large unheard in international fora. Since the early 1970s, however, Indigenous peoples have made significant inroads towards the recognition of their rights and acceptance of their legitimate…

Family violence and abuse is occurring at an unacceptable level in our Indigenous communities. It is a scourge that damages our families and communities, traumatises our women and children and tears at the fabric of our culture.

This chapter explains how the provisions of international human rights treaties protect same-sex couples and their children, in the context of accessing financial and work-related entitlements. In particular, this chapter focuses on the right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. It also describes how the breach of that right can interfere with a range of other basic human…

In Port Hedland there is a school outside ... I used to stand on a chair and look out at them. I like to see what they looked like in their school uniform. There was an officer … and she pulled my shoulder down and put me on the ground and said, ‘You are not allowed to look at those people because they are different to you.’ And I was like ‘Why are they different to me?…

The recommendations put forward in this report cover an extraordinarily wide spectrum. Many will require considerable detailed development and negotiation before they can be put into place.

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation whose mission is to accompany, serve and defend the rights of forcibly displaced people. It has a staff of over 600 full time personnel and is at work in over 60 countries. At the present time JRS has active programmes of social support and legal counselling in prisons and detention centres for asylum seekers in about 20…

[1] The following guidelines are adapted from Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Engaging the Marginalised: Partnerships between indigenous peoples, governments and civil society, 15 August 2005 (2005), at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/conference/engaging_communities/index.html#link2 (viewed 23 November 2009);…

The Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory's research indicates that as at 24 November 2001 a total of 7933 unlawful non-citizens were admitted to Australian detention centres in the 2000-01 financial year.

I felt so bad staying in a place surrounded by razor fence. I can’t understand and I always asked ‘Why did they take me here?’ … It was scary.

The Optional Protocol to CEDAW was accepted by the UN General Assembly on 6 October 1999 and opened for signing and ratification by national governments that were parties to CEDAW. Its provisions became operational on 22 December 2000.

Disability is a normal part of life. Anyone in the community might experience a disability at some stage of their life - men and women, young and old, city and country dwellers. In fact, almost 20% of Australians - 3.96 million - have some sort of disability.

Melbourne Citymission would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide input into your inquiry into children in immigration detention. It is an issue that goes to the very heart of how we as a nation care for our children. It is particularly pertinent to Melbourne Citymission as we are an organization committed to supporting and advocating on behalf of the marginalised.

When people enter an aged care facility they usually have to pay certain daily fees and other payments to fund their care and residence. The Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth) (the Aged Care Act) sets out how those fees and payments should be calculated in both public and private aged care facilities.

It must also be recognised that many children in detention centres have been deeply damaged - further trauma could be avoided, in part, by prudent selection and training of staff and guards. It needs to be assured that only staff who have learned to respect relevant cultures, religious traditions and are knowledgeable of the human rights of asylum seekers and the often traumatic conditions of…

Key Finding of Review The Review found that: There needs to be a strong reaffirmation of ADFA as the centre of excellence for tri-Service education and training for junior officers. ADFA espouses excellence; however it lacks a well-articulated purpose and a clear vision. This inhibits it from realising its potential and, significantly, from integrating equality, diversity and inclusion in a …

Key findings of Review The Review found that: The high turnover of Commandants and military staff has had a significant negative impact on ADFA’s leadership stability, continuity and organisational memory. The COMDT has limited influence over which staff are posted to ADFA and has limited engagement with ADF Service Chiefs. ADFA is not considered a prestigious posting for staff. This has an…