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Children's Rights

Children’s Rights in Australia: looking back and moving forward

Good morning everyone. I’d like to begin today by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land, the Widjabul people of the Bundjalung nation. I acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make. I also pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. I’d also...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Megan Mitchell at the National Press Club

I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we gather on today, and across Australia, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and future. Thanks to UNICEF for the opportunity to share the moment in which both our reports are submitted, and Anne Sherry in particular...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Commission welcomes National Apology

The Australian Human Rights Commission today welcomes the Prime Minister’s National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, which will take place this morning at Parliament House in Canberra. The National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell said it’s an incredibly...

Category, News
Children's Rights

Speech to NSW & ACT Professional Standards Network

A speech by Megan Mitchell covering The Royal Commission’s recommendations, the connection between those recommendations and the National Principles, work we’re doing at the Australian Human Rights Commission in the Child Safe Organisations project, how religious organisations can implement the National Principles, government responses to the Royal Commission’s recommendations and recent developments at the national level.

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Commissioner welcomes Government response to Royal Commission

National Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell welcomes the Federal Government’s commitment to a national apology to survivors of abuse, and the creation of a national office for child safety. The Government has today accepted or accepted in principle 104 of 122 recommendations from the Royal...

Category, News
Children's Rights

13th Australasian Injury Prevention Network Conference

The 13 th Australasian Injury Prevention Network Conference Date: Monday, 13 th November 2017 1. Acknowledgments Good morning everyone. Thank you Rebecca for the introduction. It’s a pleasure to be invited to present at this year’s Australasian Injury Prevention Network Conference. I wish to start...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Children’s rights to safety and to a holistic education

Good morning everyone and thank you Katharine O’Donnell, ANZELA National President, for inviting me to be part of what I hear has been a stimulating event to date and to present the Dr Ann Shorten Memorial Lecture. I too would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Voices in Action: Empowering young people for positive change

Speech given at the CREATE Biannual Conference Date: 9.25am, 10 August 2017 at the International Convention Centre, Sydney Introduction Thank you to CREATE Foundation for the invitation to provide an opening address. I too would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

Reaching the highest standard of health for adolescents

Speech given at the Australian Association for Adolescent Health 2017 Conference Date: 10am - 11am, Thursday 6 July 2017 Introduction Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be here to speak about the work I have done as Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner. Before I begin, I would like to...

Category, Speech
Children's Rights

We need to do more to protect our kids online

One unintended consequence of the explosion of digital technology is the proliferation of online child exploitation material – and increased opportunities for child sex offenders to connect with other offenders. This is the central finding of Anti-Slavery Australia’s Behind the Screen: Online Child...

Category, Opinion
Children's Rights

Is jail the answer for Australian kids?

This year around 900 children and young people will spend Christmas in jail. More than 5 per cent of this population are between 10 and 12 years old and 74 per cent of this age group are Indigenous. Most have been charged or convicted with petty crimes, like graffiti, vandalism, shop lifting or fare...

Category, Opinion
Children's Rights

Launch of Children's Rights Report 2016

Introduction Good morning everyone. I want to begin by speaking about an artwork submitted by a young person detained in a youth justice centre. This was sent to me as an entry to an art competition I ran for children and young people in youth justice centres this year. I asked them to show me how...

Category, Speech