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Rights and Freedoms10 April 2013Publication
Homelessness is a Human Rights Issue
This paper explores the many ways that homelessness impacts on a person’s ability to enjoy basic rights and freedoms. It shows that homelessness is more than just a housing issue. Homelessness is about human rights. Homeless people are not merely objects of charity, seeking help and compassion – like all Australians, they are individuals entitled to the protection and promotion of their human rights. Since human rights belong to everyone, it is in the interests of the Australian community as a whole to ensure that the rights of homeless people are respected and protected. -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 3: From community crisis to community control in the Fitzroy Valley - Social Justice Report 2010
It is a story of colonisation; the threat of losing our cultural authority to manage our societies; and the despair that has come from that disempowerment. It is a story of grief and trauma and the continued pain of living with grog, drug and violence. -
Sex Discrimination7 February 2020Publication
Respect@Work: Community Guide to the Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020)
Also available: Full Report A message from the Commissioner Australia was once at the forefront of tackling sexual harassment globally. Women’s organisations in Australia began to press for the legal and social recognition of sex discrimination in the early 1970s. This movement built on Australia’s ratification of two key international conventions: the International Labour Organization’s ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2010: Chapter 3: Consultation, cooperation, and free, prior and informed consent: The elements of meaningful and effective engagement
On 3 April 2009, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Minister for Indigenous Affairs) delivered a formal statement in support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration).[1] In this statement, the Minister acknowledged that ‘[w]e need to find more ways of hearing Indigenous voices’.[2] -
14 December 2012Book page
Homelessness is a Human Rights Issue (2008)
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. -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Submission to National Human Rights Consultation (2009)
The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) welcomes the opportunity to make this submission to the National Human Rights Consultation (the Consultation). -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Comments by the Australian Human Rights Commission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on issues relevant to Australia’s fifth periodic report under the ICCPR (2008)
The Australian Human Rights and Commission (the Commission) provides these comments to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (the Committee) in response to the Committee’s request for information relevant to Australia’s fifth periodic report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).[1] -
15 July 2014Book page
Chapter 3: How do we keep moving forward? A road map for our future
3.1 Introduction In chapters 1 and 2, I look back over the past 20 years that the Social Justice Commissioner position has been in place and think about the journey and our learning over this time. In this chapter, I want to explore how those lessons can take us forward to chart a confident course into the future and how the realisation of our rights can produce long term sustainable improvements ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2001: Chapter 2: Mutual obligation, welfare reform and Indigenous participation: a human rights perspective
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. -
Legal30 January 2019Submission
Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018
1. Executive summary The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) makes this submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, in response to its review of the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 (Cth) (the Bill). The Explanatory Memorandum states that the purpose of the Bill is to introduce measures to allow ... -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Federal Discrimination Law: Chapter 3 - The Race Discrimination Act
The RDA was the first Commonwealth unlawful discrimination statute to be enacted and is different in a number of ways from the SDA, DDA and ADA. This is because it is based to a large extent on, and takes important parts of its statutory language from, the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
National Human Rights Consultation - Appendix 2
The Declaration recognises the legitimate entitlement of Indigenous people to all human rights – based on principles of equality, partnership, good faith and mutual benefit... -
Commission – General14 December 2012Webpage
Taking stock of Australia’s human rights record – Submission by the Australian Human Rights Commission under the Universal Periodic Review process (2010)
This significant new process involves a review of the human rights record of each member of the UN on a periodic basis (at present, every four years). Australia makes its first appearance in January 2011. -
Legal14 December 2012Speech
Dignity, Fairness and Good Government: The Role of a Human Rights Act - Lord Bingham
It would clearly test to destruction the tolerance of the ordinary red-blooded Australian to have a Pom getting off the plane from London and telling them how to run their country. So I shall not presume to say how the current human rights debate in this country should be resolved. But perhaps I may contribute some thoughts, prompted by our own experience in the United Kingdom, acknowledging as I do so that the Australian context, while in some ways similar, is in others significantly different. -
Commission – General3 September 2018Publication
Human Rights & Climate Change (2008)
Climate change will have significant impacts in both Australia and across the globe. Australia is one of the most arid continents in the world. It is vulnerable to risks such as disruptions to water supply; increases in the severity of storms, floods and droughts, coastal erosion due to sea level rise; and to negative human health impacts, for example through an increase in the range and spread of disease -
Legal2 August 2017Submission
Australian Citizenship Legislation (Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2017
The Australian Human Rights Commission makes this submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee’s inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Legislation (Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2017 (Cth) introduced by the Australian Government. -
14 December 2012Book page
Summary of Web Comments - Consultation on protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, sex and/or gender identity (2011)
The Australian Human Rights Commission launched its consultation regarding protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, sex and/or gender identity on 1 October 2010. -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Inquiry into Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders 2012
This submission proposes and outlines a human rights-based response to developing a national approach to the prevention, intervention and management of FASD. -
Legal12 September 2018Submission
Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) draft Bill 2018
1. Executive summary The Australian Human Right Commission (the Commission) makes this submission to the Department of Home Affairs (the Department), in response to the exposure draft of the Telecommunications and other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 (Cth) (the draft Bill). The stated purpose of the draft Bill is to provide national security and law enforcement agencies ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2003 : Chapter 1
Australia is a wealthy nation. In 2003, Australia ranked fourth in the United Nations Human Development Index (1) indicating Australians enjoyed one of the highest qualities of life in the world. Overall, Australia ranks equal fourth with the highest life expectancy at birth (79.0 years) suggesting Australians are among the healthiest people in the world. (2)