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Children

Youth Justice and Child Wellbeing Reform Across Australia

Boy wearing hoodie behind a wire fence

The National Children’s Commissioner is conducting a project that investigates opportunities for reform of youth justice and related systems across Australia, based on evidence and the protection of human rights. The project will explore ways to reduce children’s involvement in crime, including through prevention and early intervention.

AHRC welcomes announcement of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner

Content type: Media Release
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The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement today that a new position will be created for a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner. 

Advocates and peak bodies representing Australia’s First Nations children have long sought a National Commissioner to promote the rights, interests and wellbeing of First Nations children and young people.

Australia's human rights progress

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Australia is widely considered the land of the "fair go".

And while that may ring true for many people, not all in our country are yet afforded the dignity and basic rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  

As the final episode in our series commemorating the Declaration’s 75th anniversary explores, its promise in Australia remains a “work in progress”.

Learn more about our series here.

Clean Slate Without Prejudice

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In 2009, boxing program ‘Clean Slate Without Prejudice’ was founded by First Nations leaders and local police to help curb youth crime in Redfern, Sydney. 

75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created, it’s just one community-led initiative that’s empowering children and inspiring change. 

But Indigenous youth remain over-represented in Australia’s juvenile detention system - a major barrier in improving the human rights of First Nations people. 

What does 'human rights' mean to you?

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10 December 2023 marked 75 years since the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In this first of a 5-part video series commemorating the anniversary from a local perspective, we hear from a diverse group of Australians about what human rights means to them.  

The Commission acknowledges this series comes at a time of major global crises. It is in the pursuit of peace, justice, and equality that we discover our common ground.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to promote and protect human rights.  

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 75 Years On Video Series

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In a video series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we hear from a diverse group of Australians about what human rights means to them and where our nation still needs to improve.

View the rest of the series here.

Australia’s human rights champions put social justice and equality centre stage

Content type: Media Release
Published:

Women’s equity and racial equality advocate Juliana Nkrumah AM has been awarded the prestigious Human Rights Medal at the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards in Sydney tonight.

Other awards went to Gabriel Osborne (Young People’s Award), Northern Pictures (Media and Creative Industries Award), Advocacy Tasmania (Community Award) and the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (Law Award).

Building belonging

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Children's rights in action: Innovations in youth justice webinar

As Australia continues to grapple with ongoing crises in its youth justice systems, this webinar explores the potential lessons our country could learn from international experiences of reform.

Over the course of five years, the Oberstown Children Detention Campus in Ireland adopted a Children’s Rights Policy Framework and implemented evidence-based and human-rights-based changes to its structure and operations.

Children's rights in action: Innovations in youth justice webinar

As Australia continues to grapple with ongoing crises in its youth justice systems, this webinar explores the potential lessons our country could learn from international experiences of reform.

Over the course of five years, the Oberstown Children Detention Campus in Ireland adopted a Children’s Rights Policy Framework and implemented evidence-based and human-rights-based changes to its structure and operations.