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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice24 May 2013Speech
Implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples
Ms Mandy Doherty and Ms Jenny Bedford delivered the following joint statement on 22 May 2013 to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian Human Rights Commission. We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we are meeting on today and pay our respects to elders past and present. This is a joint statement of ... -
International10 January 2024Video
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 75 Years On Video Series
In a video series commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we hear from a diverse group of Australians about what human rights means to them and where our nation still needs to improve. View the rest of the series here . ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Appendix 5: Position paper on achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait - Social Justice Report 2011
Indigenous individuals have an equal right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. States shall take the necessary steps with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of this right. -
14 December 2012Book page
Questions and answers on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2009)
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. -
15 July 2014Book page
Chapter 1: How far have we come? Looking back on 20 years of the Social Justice Commissioner role
1.1 Introduction This year marks 20 years since the establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner (Social Justice Commissioner) role under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth). When I first started in this position I was asked if any of the previous Commissioners had left any words or notes of advice. I answered them ‘no, but they all left ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 2: Constitutional reform: Creating a nation for all of us - Social Justice Report 2010
A century ago, the Australian people engaged in a debate about creating a nation. They held meetings...They wrote articles and letters in newspapers. Many views were canvassed and voices were heard. The separate colonies, having divided up the land between them, discussed ways of sharing powers in order to achieve a vision of a united Australia. The result was the Australian Constitution, establishing the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2006: Chapter 4: International developments on the rights of indigenous peoples – Closing the ‘protection gap’
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. -
14 December 2012Book page
Appendix 2: Chronology of Events Relating to the Administration of Indigenous Affairs - Social Justice Report 2011
Social Justice Report 2011 Back to Contents Appendix 2: Chronology of Events Relating to the Administration of Indigenous Affairs 1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011 DATE EVENT / SUMMARY OF ISSUE 2 July 2010 Torres Strait Islander sea rights recognised by Federal Court The Federal Court recognised the Torres Strait Regional Sea Claim Group’s native title rights over about 37 800sq. km of sea between Cape ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2006: Appendix 4: Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People
This Appendix reproduces materials approved by the United Nations General Assembly when establishing the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. It also extracts and briefly comments on the main provisions of the Program of Action for the Second Decade. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice18 March 2013Speech
Launch of the Social Justice and Native Title Reports 2012
Keynote address by Geoff Scott, Chief Executive Officer, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 2 – An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander human rights protection framework for the 21st century: Social Justice Report 2008
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. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2006: Information Sheet 5: Developments on Indigenous human rights: Closing the ‘protection gap’
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. -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 3: Remote Indigenous education: Social Justice Report 2008
...education is the engine room of prosperity and helps create a fairer, more productive society. It is the most effective way we know, to build prosperity and spread opportunity...[1] -
14 December 2012Book page
Community Guide to the Social Justice and Native Title Reports 2005
As you may know, my role as Social Justice Commissioner requires me to produce two annual reports on Indigenous rights issues - the Social Justice Report and the Native Title Report. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2001: Chapter 6: Reconciliation – National progress one year on
In its final recommendations, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation proposed that there be a legislative requirement for the Social Justice Commissioner to monitor progress towards reconciliation on an annual basis. In the Social Justice Report 2000 it was noted that while legislative amendment to this end was desirable, this task could be undertaken under my existing functions. Accordingly, I undertook to provide an annual evaluation of progress towards reconciliation as part of the social justice report. -
14 December 2012Book page
Comments by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on MMSD (Australia) Project (2001)
In early 2001 AMEEF, as managers of the MMSD (Australia) project, commissioned various studies including a baseline assessment of the minerals industry and five other areas of interest: mining and biodiversity, stakeholder engagement, mining-Indigenous agreements, managing minerals wealth, and industry-based initiatives for sustainable development. These studies will contribute to a final report of the MMSD (Australia) project, which will form part of MMSD's global project. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 1998 : Introduction: A Handful of Soil
The removal of the children from Wave Hill by MacRobertson Miller aircraft was accompanied by distressing scenes the like of which I wish never to experience again. The engines of the 'plane are not stopped at Wave Hill and the noise combined with the strangeness of an aircraft only accentuated the grief and fear of the children, resulting in near-hysteria in two of them. I am convinced that the news of my action at Wave Hill preceded me to other stations, resulting in the children being taken away prior to my arrival. -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Social Justice Report 2002: International developments in the recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples
The circumstances of Indigenous peoples were virtually invisible at the United Nations approximately thirty years ago. Very little attention had been devoted to their situation and their claims were by and large unheard in international fora. Since the early 1970s, however, Indigenous peoples have made significant inroads towards the recognition of their rights and acceptance of their legitimate place within the international community. The results, while incomplete, have been nothing short of extraordinary. -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 3 - Introduction: Social Justice Report 2009
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: -
15 July 2014Book page
Chapter 2: Looking back on 20 years of native title and the Social Justice Commissioner role
2.1 Introduction [1] Successive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners (Social Justice Commissioners) have always shown constant leadership and advocacy in reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights to our lands and waters in the 19 Native Title Reports written between 1994 and 2012. [2] These Reports consistently show that social justice is ...