Our Vision:
Human rights: everyone, everywhere, everyday
Our Mission:
Leading the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia by:
- making human rights values part of everyday life and language;
- empowering all people to understand and exercise their human rights;
- working with individuals, community, business and government to inspire action;
- keeping government accountable to national and international human rights standards;
- securing an Australian charter of rights.
We do this by:
- listening, learning, communicating and educating;
- being open, expert, committed and impartial;
- fostering a collaborative, diverse, flexible, respectful and innovative workplace.
Our statutory responsibilities include:
- education and public awareness
- discrimination and human rights complaints
- human rights compliance
- policy and legislative development.
- resolving complaints of discrimination or breaches of human rights under federal laws
- holding public inquiries into human rights issues of national importance
- developing human rights education programs and resources for schools, workplaces and the community
- providing independent legal advice to assist courts in cases that involve human rights principles
- providing advice and submissions to parliaments and governments to develop laws, policies and programs
- undertaking and coordinating research into human rights and discrimination issues.
The Commission works closely with other
national human rights institutions, particularly through the Asia Pacific Forum of National
Human Rights Institutions, to address major human rights issues in the
region.
We also undertake bilateral
international activities as part of the Australian Government's development
program run by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid). The
most substantial of these is the Human Rights Technical
Assistance Program, which is part of the
annual Dialogue on Human Rights with China.
Our structure
The Commission is a collegiate body made up of a President and five Commissioners. The five positions are currently held by four people. The President is the chief executive officer.
The Hon. John von
Doussa
President
Tom Calma
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Race Discrimination
Commissioner
Graeme
Innes AM
Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination
Commissioner
Elizabeth Broderick
Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination
Find out more
Brochure: The Australian Human Rights Commission
In this section you can also find:
- The Commission's Corporate Plan: January 2006 - December 2008
- The Commission's Annual Reports 1996 - 2007
- Speeches by the Commission's President and Commissioners
also in PDF
