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On Friday 3 April 2009, the Australian Government will make a statement in support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This will reverse Australia’s previous opposition to the Declaration. Under the Coalition Government, Australia was one of four countries that voted against the Declaration when it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2007.

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 by intergenerational poverty, of which long-term welfare dependency and a crippling short-term local cash economy are often features.

Dr Ozdowski has made public education on human rights a priority for his term. Other priority areas are the elderly in our ageing society and children. Dr Ozdowski is working to progress the Commission’s 2000 recommendations for alleviating age discrimination, as set out in the report Age matters: a report on age discrimination.

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.

In recent years there have been significant developments at the international level that impact upon the recognition and protection of the human rights of indigenous peoples. Most notably, there have been: i) reforms to the machinery of the United Nations (UN) and the emphasis given to human rights within that system; ii) the making of global commitments to action, through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People; and iii) the further elaboration of human rights standards as they apply to indigenous peoples.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

In 2002–03, as in past years, the Commission participated in some bilateral international program activities, generally as part of the Australian Government’s development cooperation program developed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

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

While the role and functions of HREOC as set out in legislation are primarily directed towards human rights issues within Australia, HREOC undertakes an international education and training role, with a specific focus on agencies in the Asia Pacific region. In 2006-07, as in past years, most of this has taken the form of technical cooperation programs with other countries.

6.1 Introduction 6.2 Steps taken by the Australian Government to implement the Declaration 6.3 Giving effect to the Declaration 6.4 Conclusion and recommendations 6.1 Introduction Throughout my term, I have continually emphasised the importance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [565] (the Declaration). The Declaration is the most comprehensive and advanced ...

In 2003-04, as in past years, much of our international work was in the form of bilateral technical cooperation programs with the national human rights institutions of other countries, or related agencies. These programs, which are based around sharing knowledge and expertise, are generally delivered through the framework of the Australian Government's development cooperation program, which is administered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

The landscape of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is under severe ecological stress. Issues such as salinity, poor water quality, stressed forests, dried wetlands, threatened native species, feral animals and noxious weeds are commonplace within the MDB. The reasons for this dramatic decline in river health are caused by water mismanagement including reversal of natural flow cycles and over allocation of water licences. Generations of bad farm practices such as deforestation have also played a major role in the ecological disaster that is the MDB.[1]

In 2001-02, as in past years, the Commission participated in some bilateral international program activities, generally as part of the Australian Government's development cooperation program developed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

The project drew on the findings of the Commission’s Ismaﻉ Report, which found that the impact of racial and religious discrimination against Arab and Muslim Australians is most acutely felt by women, especially Muslim women wearing the hijab or other forms of religious dress.

The issue of whether Australia's 'treatment ' of Indigenous people meets its international human rights obligations has been the subject of an ongoing dialogue taking place between Australia, Non-Government Organisations and UN treaty committees throught 1999 and 2000.

The past year has been one of great contrasts. On the one hand, we have experienced the apparent harmony and healing of the walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and similar walks in other states and on the other hand, the national outpourings of grief and anger at the death of a 15-year-old boy in custody in Don Dale Detention Centre in Darwin in February.