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These values provide the cornerstone of strong communities in which everyone, regardless of their background, can feel included and make a contribution.

HREOC offers extraordinary support and the possibility of redress to those pushed to the edges of our society. The rigor and innovation of its staff and the quality policy work, inquiries, reports and educational programs have given visibility to critical social issues and informed our democracy. Australia's history as a global human rights advocate owes much to HREOC's achievements and…

It can mean losing a job or getting passed over for an interview, being excluded from a venue, being abused on the street for how you look or feeling intimidated by a boss who won’t take no for an answer.

Why do I love HREOC? Well, I was there at the birth. I watched the Commission grow and accept new challenges every year. Australians used to be blind to the inequalities of women, to injustice to Aboriginals and other indigenous peoples, to Asian Australians, to gays and other sexual minorities, to people with disabilities and many others. If our eyes have been opened, we should be grateful to…

In today's world, with an increasing focus on greed and building individual wealth, advocacy for the human rights agenda couldn’t be more important. Over the years, HREOC has produced outstanding reports, like Bringing them home, with important recommendations. To fail to act on those recommendations diminishes Australia as a nation, and all of us as individuals.

One of the most important ways to protect human rights is to build community understanding and challenge attitudes which are based on myths and stereotypes. The key to this is education.

While HREOC’s role is focused firmly on domestic issues, over the past decade we have had a significant role promoting human rights in the Asia Pacific region.

Over the past 21 years HREOC has helped to highlight, investigate and respond to a wide range of complex human rights issues in Australia. During this time there have been many positive changes. It is clear, however, that gaping holes still exist.

The Hon. John von Doussa: 2003 – present Professor Alice Tay, 1998 – 2003 Sir Ronald Wilson: 1990 – 1998 The Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld: 1986 – 1990

Back to contents Credits Written by Black and White Media Australia Edited by HREOC Design by JagDesigns Printing by McMillan Print Group Pty Ltd Copyright@November 2007 WARNING: This publication may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons. previous |

I am recommending that the governments of Australia commit to achieving equality of health status and life expectation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people within 25 years.

Social Justice Report 2005 - Health Fact Sheet 1 back to contents The health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples [1] Life expectation Over 1996-2001, there was an estimated difference of approximately 17 years between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous life expectation. [2] Life expectancy at birth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander…

Education In 2002, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were less than half as likely as a non-Indigenous people to have completed a post-secondary qualification of certificate level 3 or above (that is post-graduate degree, graduate diploma or certificate, bachelor degree, advanced diploma, diploma and certificate levels 3 and 4).[1] Nationally in 2004, Aboriginal and Torres Strait…

Social Justice Report 2005 - Health Fact Sheet 3 back to contents Equality of opportunity and health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Access to primary health care It is estimated that in 2004, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enjoyed 40% of the per capita access of the non-Indigenous population to primary health care provided by general practitioners. 1 Housing…

Back to Contents Social Justice Report 2007 Chapter 3: The Northern Territory ‘Emergency Response’ intervention – A human rights analysis Part 1: Background - The Little �����鱨վ are Sacred Report and the announcement of the 'emergency measures' Part 2: The Northern Territory 'emergency response' legislation Part 3: The measures enacted in the NT emergency response and human rights standards…

Social Justice Report 2009 Chapter 1: Introduction back to contents 1.1 Looking back 1.2 Looking forward... 1.3 Contents of the Social Justice Report 2009 This is my sixth, and final, Social Justice Report as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. It covers the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. This year’s report will focus on: justice reinvestment to…

Social Justice Report 2009 Chapter 2: Justice reinvestment – a new solution to the problem of Indigenous over-representation in the criminal justice system back to contents 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Justice reinvestment and the experience of the United States and the United Kingdom Case Study 2.1: Justice reinvestment in Texas Case Study 2.2: Justice reinvestment in Kansas 2.3 Justice…

Social Justice Report 2009 Chapter 3: The perilous state of Indigenous languages in Australia back to contents 3.1: Introduction 3.2: Why preserve Indigenous languages? 3.3: Australian policy and Indigenous languages 3.4: Australian and international approaches aimed at protecting and promoting Indigenous languages 3.5: Findings 3.6: Recommendations 3.1: Introduction When I commenced writing…