News

Commission – General

Prevention of human rights abuses against irregular migrants: the role of National Institutions

In the age of globalisation there has been a massive increase in international migration and, as the number of international migrants has grown, so too has the problem of irregular migration. Many states have tried to stem irregular migration by introducing new border control measures and tougher criminal sanctions for people smugglers.[1] However, while effective border control is a legitimate objective of all sovereign states, state responses to the issue of irregular migration have often failed to protect the human rights of irregular migrants.[2]

24 October, 2006

Sex Discrimination

Launch of ‘Medical responses to adults who have experienced sexual assault: an interactive educational module for Doctors’

Launch of ‘Medical responses to adults who have experienced sexual assault: an interactive educational module for Doctors’ Speech by Pru Goward, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, RANZCOG College House, East Melbourne, 31 March 2005 Acknowledgements. Thank you for inviting me to launch this module...

Rights and Freedoms

"The rights of the child and international human rights law"

This morning I am going to talk to you about unaccompanied child migrants in the wider context of current world trends. In so doing, I have taken full account of the lessons to be learned from the experiences of the victims of British child migration schemes.

Sex Discrimination

‘International Women’s Day: Celebrating the achievements and looking to the future’

Your Excellency, honourable guests, ladies and gentlemen good evening. It is a great pleasure to be with you tonight to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day.

Rights and Freedoms

Lawasia Conference

In the contemporary world, and particularly amongst developed economies, many of us believed that the culture of civil liberties, freedoms and non-discrimination are reasonably well established and these precepts have clear links to innovation, creativity and the broader concepts of economic productivity and a well functioning civil society. Indeed, I believe that many of us had come to accept and expect this to be the situation, and that conferences like the one we attend here today could be built on this very premise.

Commission – General

National Human Rights Institutions

The Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (hereafter the Australian Human Rights Commission) is one of the oldest National Human Rights Institutions in the Asia Pacific region. It was originally established in 1981 as the Human Rights Commission and then restructured in 1986 to become the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. It is a founding member and a strong supporter of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions.

Rights and Freedoms

"HUMAN RIGHTS: A REPORT CARD FOR AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA": DR SEV OZDOWSKI OAM (2004)

Firstly I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and by so doing remind ourselves that Australia's cultural traditions stretch back many thousands of years. The acknowledgement also expresses our aspiration for a just and inclusive Australia for all.

Commission – General

President speech: Launch of NGO Guidelines for Working with Trafficked People

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to their elders.

Sex Discrimination

(Non-sex industry) labour trafficking: A forum to discuss trafficking in persons in contexts other than the commercial sex industry (2009)

It is wonderful to be here today at a forum that brings together so many people with different insights on what we need to do to effectively tackle the issue of labour trafficking. Immigration experts, law enforcement officers, labour law specialists, service providers, NGOs, researchers, even human rights lawyers!

Rights and Freedoms

Children and the Law: Issues in the Asia Pacific Region

Salutation Firstly I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and by so doing remind ourselves that Australia’s cultural traditions stretch back many thousands of years.

Sex Discrimination

Speeches on Sex Discrimination Issues

Speeches on Sex Discrimination Issues Click here to visit the Sex Discrimination section [ Year: 2012 : 2011 : 2010 : 2009 : 2008 : 2007 : 2006 : 2005 : 2004 : 2002 : 2001 : 2000 : 1998 : 1997 : 1996 ] 2012 Working without fear Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human...

Commission – General

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This session focuses primarily on relationships between National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI’s) and the Judiciary, but as well touches on their relationship with officers of the executive government such as the Attorney-General. One of the stated aims of this session is to assess how the independent institutions of the judiciary and NHRI’s can mutually and independently strengthen national protection systems for human rights.

Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights in the Asia Pacific Region

It is my pleasure to report to you today on the outcome of deliberations of the Working Group on Human Rights Education. This working group was relatively small in size but very diverse and robust in its deliberations. It consisted of representatives of Arabic countries, including the host country Qatar as well as Japan, the Philippines and Australia.

Commission – General

Statement to the 61st session of the Commission on Human Rights

On behalf of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (hereafter referred to as the Commission), I welcome the opportunity to make this statement.

Rights and Freedoms

“Child Migrants and Human Rights in our Time”: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM (2005)

I should add, at this point, that my work over the past few years and my inquiry on children in immigration detention (CIDI), in Australia, the report of which "A last resort?" was tabled in the Australian Federal parliament in May of 2004, has made me even more keenly aware of the fragility of child asylum seekers. But more on that later!