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Along with its human rights education and promotion function, the Commission undertakes a monitoring role in relation to human rights standards. This monitoring role ranges across the work of the individual Commissioners who examine and report issues of race, sex and disability discrimination and human rights, to the assessment of legislative proposals and presentation of submissions through the…

There is some evidence to suggest that within the Australian community, the idea that it is unacceptable for a government to maintain an immigration detention regime which provides for the long-term incarceration of children behind razor wire, is finally the prevailing view. The actions of the government in relaxing their hard line stance on immigration detention, as far as children are concerned…

The Commission’s vision is of and for an Australian society in which the human rights of all people are respected and promoted. Our task is to find practical, pragmatic ways to turn the rhetoric of human rights into an everyday reality for all Australians and build a more tolerant and inclusive community. As this report indicates, this past year has been a period of substantial achievement…

Mr Graeme Innes AM continued to serve on a part time basis throughout 2000-01 as Deputy Disability Discrimination Commissioner. In this role he assists with the handling of public enquiries, exemption applications and the development of standards under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Dr Ozdowski has made public education on human rights a priority for his term. Other priority areas are the elderly in our ageing society and children. Dr Ozdowski is working to progress the Commission’s 2000 recommendations for alleviating age discrimination, as set out in the report Age matters: a report on age discrimination.

The Commission undertakes bilateral international activities, generally as part of the Australian Government's development cooperation program developed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The most substantial of these is the Human Rights Technical Assistance Program, which is an integral part of the annual Dialogue on Human Rights with China.

On 25 June 2012, the Australian Parliament passed legislation to establish Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner. The Commissioner will be a member of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

We are often invited to share our knowledge and expertise with others in the region and around the world. For example, we engage in regular technical cooperation programs with China and Vietnam and currently support a number of disability organisations in Pacific Island countries.

[1] Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Top End, http://www.climatechange.gov.au/impacts/regions/te.html (viewed 17 December 2008) [2] D Green, Climate change impacts on remote Indigenous communities’ health in northern Australia, Climate Change Impacts and Risks CSIRO (2006), p 21. At http://www.sharingknowledge.net.au/files/indigenoushealth_cc200606.pdf (viewed 17 December 2008…

In 2013, the Australian Government asked the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, on behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission, to undertake a National Review into discrimination related to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work after parental leave.The aims of the National Review, entitled Supporting Working Parents: Pregnancy and Return to Work National Review have been to:…

As noted above, article 19(3) of the ICCPR permits limitations on the rights recognised in article 19(2), but those limitations must be: (1) provided by law and (2) necessary for respect of the rights or reputations of others, for the protection of national security, public order, or public health or morals. The HRC in its General Comment 34 has emphasised that: when a State party imposes

The challenge of finding the appropriate balance between rights is not one which is specific to the Internet.It is difficult to know if Australian laws that limit freedom of expression in the interests of other rights, or on other permissible grounds, have ‘drawn the line’ appropriately without a comprehensive review of such laws. In New Zealand, a legislative review undertaken by the New…

Paul Blackmore’s photographs illustrate this report. They depict an inspired local initiative. Five years ago the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody drew attention to the appalling conditions in police lock-ups in rural Australia. The cells in Murgon, three hours north-west of Brisbane, were typical - dirty, disgusting, depressing. Detective Sergeant Ryan and Senior Sergeant…

The aim of this submission is to inform HREOC, at the outset of its Inquiry, of the concerns held about Children in Immigration in Detention, by members of the legal profession in New South Wales. The focus of the submission is limited to the issue of compliance with international and domestic legal obligations. Relevant obligations are outlined, concerns are highlighted and finally,…

The model proposed by HREOC has been costed by respected independent analysts NATSEM at $213m in 2003-04. In 2005-06, paid maternity leave would cost the Government $217m, which is $293m less than the Baby Bonus which relates only to one child per family and in which the full benefit cannot be reaped until five years after the birth of the child.

Young people in the workplace contains a series of activities and resources to help students explore the issues around workplace discrimination. The activities help students to draw comparisons between the dramatised workplace issues and their personal experiences by looking at how concepts of difference, discrimination and harassment may operate in their daily lives.

Nunga baby taken away `Where's my mama' hear him say `You takin' me to Goonyaland?' Carried and fed by white man's hand Growing up different Never knowing Aunts and uncles, cousins growing Mama cries - Government pays Children lost to city ways

The consultation invited comments on the potential benefit of federal laws protecting people from discrimination and harassment. Overwhelmingly, participants argued that introducing such protections would result in significant benefits for the Australian community as a whole. A small number of participants argued that there would be no benefit from these protections.