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The Australian Human Rights Commission is the nation’s independent human rights body. We work to find practical and long-term solutions to the human rights issues facing people in Australia, as well as to build greater understanding and respect for human rights in our community.

Climate change will have significant impacts in both Australia and across the globe. Australia is one of the most arid continents in the world. It is vulnerable to risks such as disruptions to water supply; increases in the severity of storms, floods and droughts, coastal erosion due to sea level rise; and to negative human health impacts, for example through an increase in the range and spread…

Under the Native Title Act 1993, the Social Justice Commissioner is required to prepare a Native Title Report each year for federal Parliament. Through these reports the Commissioner gives a human rights perspective on native title issues and advocates for practical co-existence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups in using land.

It is now just over one year since I took up my appointment as President of the Commission. During this time, the world's attention has been focussed on the international terrorist threat and how governments, including our own, can contain and counter that threat. In Australia, the Commission has been mindful of the fact that any counter-terrorism measures must be enacted and administered in…

Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people – Australian mission Indigenous People's Organisations Network of Australia 17 - 28 August 2009 Download Complete report PDF [667 KB] Complete report Word [502KB] Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples’ - Australian Mission The Australian Human Rights and Commission has made…

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Background 3 Summary 4 Activities undertaken during the visit 5 Overview: immigration detention on Christmas Island 6 Third country processing of asylum seekers’ protection claims 6.1 Information about third country processing arrangements 6.2 Pre-transfer risk assessment processes 6.3 Transfer processes 7 Potential for indefinite or arbitrary detention of asylum…

As I reach the end of my appointment as the first Disability Discrimination Commissioner, and in the light of proposed structural and funding changes to the Commission, I am drawn to reflect upon the theory and practice, challenges and developments, lessons and achievements, of the first five years of operation of the Disability Discrimination Act, and to look towards directions for the next five…