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In my role as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner I am required to produce two annual reports on Indigenous human rights issues – the Social Justice Report and the Native Title Report.

[1] The full text of the Bilateral Agreement is available online at: http://www.dia.wa.gov.au/Publications/Files/Bilateral_Agreement.pdf, accessed 24 January 2008. [2] Andrews, K., (Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations), CDEP 2006-07 To Build On Success, Media Release, 1 July 2006. [3] Bishop, J., (Minister for Education, Science and Training), Early childhood focus for Indigenous…

In recent years a mutual obligation approach has been adopted to reform public policy on welfare and employment issues. There has been much discussion about the applicability of this approach within an Indigenous policy context. It is seen by many as consistent with Indigenous cultural values such as reciprocity and an emphasis on community, as well as suggesting an antidote to the damage caused…

Family violence and abuse occurs at unacceptable rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities. We have heard many tragic stories of women, children and young people who have experienced devastating sexual abuse and family violence. It is a scourge that is causing damage and trauma among Indigenous communities, to our women and children, and to the fabric of Indigenous…

This appendix provides a summary of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) whole-of-government community trials initiative and its implementation in each state and territory. [1]

[1] Information in this Appendix is a collation of extracts from responses provided by various Federal, State and Territory Government Departments in Correspondence to T Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, for the Native Title Report 2008.

It is a story of colonisation; the threat of losing our cultural authority to manage our societies; and the despair that has come from that disempowerment. It is a story of grief and trauma and the continued pain of living with grog, drug and violence.

The Commission reviews staff performance annually through its Performance Management Scheme. The Scheme provides an opportunity to set goals and priorities in line with our Strategic Plan and to assess the level of individual performance and contribution to Unit outcomes. The Scheme also provides an opportunity to identify and address learning and development needs and to plan effectively for the…

The Social Justice Report 2005 covers the period from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005. The Report considers progress in achieving improvements in the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and sets out a human rights framework for achieving health equality within a generation.

Good functioning of prescribed bodies corporate (PBC)2 is essential to native title. Recognition of native title rights only goes part of the way to redress the historical injustice of land dispossession. Without appropriate means to make decisions about land, the existence of native title makes minimal appreciable difference to Indigenous people.

In accordance with the functions set out in section 46C(1) (a) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth), this report includes 14 recommendations- 2 in relation to support for building on promising practices in family violence and child abuse and 12 in relation to the Northern Territory intervention. The report also contains 1 follow up action that my office will…

The twin pillars of the government's approach to Indigenous policy in 2003 continued to be practical reconciliation, with its emphasis on service delivery in core areas of disadvantage, and mutual obligation, with its emphasis on reciprocity and individual responsibility. Through both of these policies, the government has identified moving Indigenous people beyond welfare dependency and enabling…

This report identifies the necessity to adopt a human rights approach to reconciliation, as well as shortcomings in Australia's performance on human rights issues as they relate to Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. This chapter emphasises processes and mechanisms that enable reconciliation to be implemented within a human rights framework. It identifies crucial commitments and processes…

Human rights principles require that Indigenous people's relationships to land, based on traditional laws and customs, be given legal recognition and protection. International legal principles also recognise that Indigenous peoples have economic, social and cultural human rights. Native title, as it is constructed through the Australian legal system, has a limited capacity to meet these human…

Submissions are invited on issues of Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century in Australia. In particular we are interested in your responses to any or all of the questions in the Discussion Paper, as well as any other issues of concern.

The Unlocking Doors Project was a series of forums, workshops and consultations conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission throughout 2006, which brought Muslim peoples and communities in New South Wales and Victoria into a dialogue with Police. This dialogue sought to strengthen Muslim peoples’ relationship with law enforcement agencies and build on the capacity of the…

While feedback in relation to the legal system was actively sought throughout all of the consultations, a number of targeted consultation sessions with individuals and organisations specifically involved or engaged in the legal system were also undertaken. These included: