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In the past year Australia's compliance with international human rights obligations has been under scrutiny by United Nations human rights treaty committees through consideration of Australia's periodic reports under four treaties. [1] Much of this attention has focused on issues relating to Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. This chapter focuses on the dialogue between the Australian government and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the Committee or the CERD), which took place in March 2000.

Education is a key determinant in predicting health and well-being, longevity, employment, housing and economic stability. This section documents the issues emerging from the consultations and public submissions in relation to education.

One of the underlying goals of international and Australian laws relating to children with disabilities is to provide the highest possible level of support and assistance in the least restrictive way. Laws, policies and programs should be designed to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to participate, to the maximum extent possible, in all aspects of the general community.

Workers’ compensation schemes are intended to provide compensation to an employee who is incapacitated because of a work-related accident or to an employee’s dependants if the employee dies because of a work-related accident.

“In Australia, if you have a pet, you take your pet out at least once a week. I haven’t had an excursion in the two years I’ve been in detention ... I don’t even know what Australians look like.”

Many statutes around the world describe sexually harassment as conduct of a sexual nature which is unwanted or unwelcome and which has the purpose or effect of being intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive.

Same-sex couples are not eligible for a range of rebates and tax concessions available to opposite-sex couples. This means same-sex couples may end up paying more tax than opposite-sex couples because tax legislation does not recognise their relationship.

<p>The <em>Report on the Review into the Treatment of Women at the Australian Defence Force Academy</em> (ADFA Review) was tabled in the Australian Parliament on 3 November 2011. <em>The Review into the Treatment of Women at the Australian Defence Force Academy: Audit Report</em> (ADFA Audit) was tabled on 23 July 2013. In releasing the ADFA Audit, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner stated that she would give ADFA the opportunity to provide an update on further progress in relation to its implementation of the recommendations and other relevant action, for inclusion in this Report.</p>

<h3><a id="Heading767" name="Heading767"></a> Key findings of Review</h3> <p>The Review found that:</p>

Until December 2009, Ali Jasmin lived with his family in Bala Uring, a small village on the island of Flores, Indonesia. His family bought fish from the local fishermen and sold them at the market. Ali had completed seven years of schooling and worked as a fisherman in a little town not far from his home.

Under the AHRC Act, an employer can make a distinction against someone with a criminal record if the person’s particular criminal record means that they are unable to fulfil the inherent requirements of the job. Another way of putting this is that an employer can make a distinction against someone if the criminal record is relevant to the job. This conduct does not constitute discrimination under the AHRC Act.

As discussed in Chapter 1, Australia’s international human rights obligations require that individuals who say that they are children be given the benefit of the doubt and treated as minors unless there is proof to the contrary. In the case of unaccompanied children, this should lead to consideration by the State of what steps need to be taken to ensure their special protection and care.

Although it is not possible to precisely specify all the circumstance that lead people to arrive in Australia through people smuggling routes, there can be no doubt that they undertake perilous journeys which put their lives and that of accompanying family members at risk. Given the very high rates of approval for those who have sought asylum in Australia through these routes, it is reasonable to assume that most detainees have fled their countries for reasons of persecution.

When the Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth) (the Age Discrimination Act or the Act) was introduced in 2004 it heralded a new era in the recognition of age discrimination in Australia. Subsequently, the Australian Human Rights Commission published a paper ‘Roadmap to the Age Discrimination Act’ which provided an analysis of the Act as it was conceived in 2004.[1]

<ul> <li><a href="#a9-1">9.1 Needs and development of teenagers</a></li> <li><a href="#a9-2">9.2 Physical environment of detention</a></li> <li><a href="#a9-3">9.3 Emotional wellbeing and self-harm </a></li> <li><a href="#a9-4">9.4 Safety </a></li> <li><a href="#a9-5">9.5 Security measures and dignity </a></li> <li><a href="#a9-6">9.6 Relationships with parents</a></li> <li><a href="#a9-7">9.7 Relocations</a></li> <li><a href="#a9-8">9.8 Provision of medical services</a></li> <li><a href="#a9-9">9.9 Education</a></li> <li><a href="#a9-10">9.10 Recreation</a></li></ul>

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 cultures.