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As I reflect on the events that have taken place during the reporting period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011, I see cause for optimism whilst also acknowledging there are still some areas that remain a concern. Over the last year we have reached some major milestones. For instance, we have seen the election of the two co-chairs and a board to the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples (National Congress), and we are also now engaged in a conversation with the Australian people about how we go about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our Constitution.

This Appendix sets out currently available information describing women's labour force participation and the ways in which women combine work and family responsibilities in Australia. The Appendix also includes information about existing maternity and parental leave arrangements to provide a background to discussing any future paid maternity leave scheme.

I have spent a lot of time this past year convincing people from all walks of life that the challenges facing Indigenous peoples in this country are not insurmountable.

Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights. However, homelessness is not just about housing. Fundamentally, homelessness is about lack of connectedness with family, friends and the community and lack of control over one’s environment.

When I commenced writing this chapter in 2008, Australia did not have a national Indigenous languages policy. However in August 2009, for the first time in Australia’s history, the Commonwealth Government launched a strategy for preserving Indigenous languages: Indigenous Languages - A National Approach 2009 (National Approach). The National Approach sets out the Commonwealth Government’s plan to preserve Indigenous languages through targeted actions. They are:

The primary responsibilities of the Legal Section are to assist the President or their delegate in the preparation of notices and reports under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth); to act as counsel or instructing solicitor for the Commission in interventions and amicus curiae matters; to assist the Commission in work arising from legislation or bills raising human rights issues and to monitor and promote awareness of developments in international and domestic human rights law, including discrimination jurisprudence in the Federal Court and Federal Magistrates Cour

The most comprehensive statement of this right is Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).1 Article 12 states:

The purpose of this chapter is to explain the relevance of international human rights law to children in Australia's immigration detention centres and to provide a quick reference point on the fundamental human rights principles that have influenced the approach of this Inquiry. This chapter also explains the role of United Nations (UN) guidelines in the Inquiry's analysis of Australia's human rights treaty obligations.

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.