- Standing up for basic rights and freedoms
- Change and challenges
- Resolving discrimination fairly
- From the bench: landmark human rights cases
- Going to the heart of the matter: national inquiries
- Getting the message out: human rights education
- Setting the standards: building partnerships for change
- Working with out neighbours: our international role
- Looking ahead
- HREOC's leaders
- Credits
- Download in PDF [1.53 MB]
Who we are
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) was established in 1986 by an act of the federal Parliament.
Our goal is to foster greater understanding and protection of human rights in Australia and to address the human rights concerns of a broad range of individuals and groups.
We are an independent statutory organisation and report to the federal Parliament through the Attorney-General.
What we do
Our responsibilities include:
- education and public awareness
- resolving discrimination and human rights complaints
- promoting human rights compliance
- supporting policy and legislative development.
We do this through:
- developing human rights education programs and resources for schools, workplaces and the community
- conciliating complaints of discrimination or breaches of human rights under federal laws
- holding public inquiries into issues of national importance
- providing independent legal submissions to courts in cases that involve human rights principles
- providing advice and assistance to parliaments and governments to develop laws, programs and policies
- undertaking research into human rights and discrimination issues.
We also work closely with other national human rights commissions, particularly through the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, to address major human rights issues in the region.
For more information about HREOC see www.humanrights.gov.au/about
