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This Annual Report identifies important milestones as well as challenges that remain in human rights protection in Australia. It provides an annual reflection on Australia’s progress in addressing commitments that the Government has made to protect human rights, as well as identifying emerging concerns. The Report is the second in a series of annual reports that are being developed in the…

2. The obligation to respect and to ensure respect for human rights and humanitarian law includes the duty: to prevent violations, to investigate violations, to take appropriate action against the violators, and to afford remedies and reparation to victims. Particular attention must be paid to the prevention of gross violations of human rights and to the duty to prosecute and punish perpetrators…

Adoption is the transfer, generally by order of a court, of all parental rights and obligations from the natural parent(s) to the adoptive parent(s). In Australia, legal adoption is relatively recent. It was first introduced in 1928 in Victoria, for example. Until very recently adoption involved near-total secrecy, partly in deference to the desire of adoptive parents to present the child as…

The findings and recommendations in this Report are based on an independent assessment of ADFA and a thorough examination of the significant amount of information gathered. From the outset, the Review consulted extensively. The research process has been designed to achieve maximum participation. The Review travelled nationally to consult with key stakeholders. Before conducting the…

Between late 2008 and late 2011, 180 young Indonesians who said that they were children arrived in Australia having worked as crew on boats bringing asylum seekers to Australia.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship welcomes this most recent report of inspections of its immigration detention facilities by the Human Rights Commissioner.

In today's world, with an increasing focus on greed and building individual wealth, advocacy for the human rights agenda couldn’t be more important. Over the years, HREOC has produced outstanding reports, like Bringing them home, with important recommendations. To fail to act on those recommendations diminishes Australia as a nation, and all of us as individuals.

In most cases of forcible removal government officials and agents were responsible for the removal under legislation or regulations. However, there were early cases of removal of children by missionaries without the consent of the parents. In Victoria the absence of government oversight of welfare services enabled churches and other non-government agencies to remove children from their families…

The report was made possible through the assistance of many people and organisations. The roll-call follows, but up-front I wish to acknowledge the people within my office responsible for preparing Indigenous Deaths in Custody 1989-1996: Paul Castley, Malcolm Langford and Sharon Payne, working directly with Len Wilder. Malcolm Langford deserves special thanks for his work on the methodology, the…

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires Australia to protect children's rights to cultural identity, language and religion. The most effective way of ensuring enjoyment of these rights is to encourage and allow refugee and asylum-seeking children to participate in cultural and religious activities in the community. The Australian community is well equipped to respond to this need…