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The experience of people in rural and remote Australia has always featured prominently in the Commission's work. During the reporting year the Commission undertook two major projects addressing the human rights of children and young people in rural and remote Australia.

The 2007-08 year has involved work on a wide range of human rights issues. This year we set ourselves the task of creating a significant human rights resource on the Human Rights web pages of the HREOC website.

The 2006-07 year has been largely dedicated to identifying and eliminating the discrimination faced by people in same-sex relationships in accessing basic financial and work-related entitlements.

1.1 Background to this report 1.2 Compliance with human rights obligations 1.3 Conduct of visits 1.4 Overview of immigration detention facilities 1.5 Response by Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs

On 13 January 2009 the Commission released the 2008 Immigration detention report: Summary of observations following visits to Australia’s immigration detention facilities.

HREOC plays a significant role in monitoring legislation and policy in Australia to assess compliance with human rights principles. This monitoring role includes:

There is some evidence to suggest that within the Australian community, the idea that it is unacceptable for a government to maintain an immigration detention regime which provides for the long-term incarceration of children behind razor wire, is finally the prevailing view. The actions of the government in relaxing their hard line stance on immigration detention, as far as children are concerned, are possibly the most conclusive proof of this statement.

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.

Dr Sev Ozdowski was appointed Human Rights Commissioner in December 2000 for a five year term. He is also the acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner.

back to immigration detention, asylum seekers and refugees The human rights of people who are in immigration detention are of particular concern to the Commission. Liberty is a fundamental human right, recognised in major human rights instruments to which Australia is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child . People ...

A central function of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is to undertake education programs that increase public awareness and generate discussion of human rights and anti-discrimination issues within Australia.

On Saturday 29 July 2000 the then Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Chris Sidoti, assisted by a consultant, Dr Mary Crock, Senior Lecturer in Law at Sydney University, visited the Curtin Immigration Reception and Processing Centre outside Derby in the Kimberley region of WA. They made observations and obtained information about accommodation, programs and services, and particulars about the conditions and treatment of detainees. This report documents Commissioner Sidoti's observations and the information he obtained with Dr Crock's assistance.

A central function of HREOC is to undertake education programs that increase public awareness and generate discussion of human rights and anti-discrimination issues within Australia. HREOC’s legislative responsibilities are: