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All Australians are equally entitled to enjoy the rights, benefits and responsibilities of citizenship. In our society, every person should feel free from discrimination of any kind and have the right to share in the nation's land, resources and wealth. The entitlements and freedoms of all people are recognised in human rights instruments, many of which have been freely signed and ratified by Australia, and in some instances are now a part of Australian law.

The International Labour Organisation Convention 111 deals with discrimination in employment and occupation. Australian adherence to this Convention provides that all people have the right to equal treatment in employment and occupation without discrimination on the basis of:

Australia is responsible for ensuring that all children in its jurisdiction can enjoy all applicable human rights, including those in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Refugee Convention. That responsibility may be executed through legislation, executive action and the judicial system. Subject to the Australian Constitution, some of those functions may be fulfilled by State legislatures, executive bodies, courts or private entities.

One of the Commission’s central functions is to undertake education programs that increase public awareness and generate discussion of human rights and anti-discrimination issues within Australia.

Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM commenced duty as Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner in December 2000 in addition to his duties as Human Rights Commissioner. In April 2003 the Attorney-General announced an extension of this acting position until 3 April 2004.

3.1 General findings In our consultations the Commission received information from people with disabilities and their advocates, support services in the community and in government and people in the police, courts and the custody and release system. The Commission also received many submissions and held a number of meetings with community members and public officials who work in or with the ...

AAD, (2002a), Submission on the Australian telecommunications network, Inquiry of the Senate References Committee on the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Australian Association of the Deaf, Sydney, http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/ecita_ctte/tele_network/submissions/sub68.rtf

While its role and functions, as set out in legislation, are primarily directed towards human rights issues within Australia, the Commission undertakes an international education and training role, with a specific focus on agencies in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Commission is an organisation established under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986. It has a President and six Commissioners. The six positions are currently held by four persons.

It has become apparent to the Australian Human Rights Commission that employers and managers are supportive of workers with mental illness. However, there is a need for guidance on how to do this better.

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act gives HREOC the function of inquiring into complaints concerning breaches of human rights by the Commonwealth (or persons/organisations acting on behalf of the Commonwealth) and discrimination in employment.