News

Commission – General

President speech: The role of culture and human rights in promoting human development

[1] According to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) – or living heritage – is the mainspring of our cultural diversity and its maintenance a guarantee for continuing creativity. It is defined as follows: Intangible Cultural Heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

8 July, 2009

Sex Discrimination

National Press Club Speech -Women on the Verge of Recession: Confronting Gender Issues in Turbulent Times (2009)

It heartens me today to be able to welcome the release of the National Council’s Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. This is the first time we have had a national plan in such a comprehensive form. The challenge now is to ensure that this plan is properly resourced so that all women and their children can live a life free from violence.

29 April, 2009

Disability Rights

Maguire: Telecommunications access and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2009)

Some of you ma have had an opportunity to attend one of the concerts by Leonard Cohen while he was on tour here recently. I've spoken with a number of people who attended one of his concerts, and without exception they say that they were some of the best concerts ever.

16 February, 2009

Commission – General

2008 Human Rights Day Oration

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today, and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

10 December, 2008

Commission – General

Speeches by the Hon. John von Doussa, President, Australian Human Rights Commission

Note: Hon. John von Doussa, term as President ended in October 2008. The Hon. Catherine Branson was appointed President of the Australian Human Rights Commission on 7 August 2008 for five year term.

8 August, 2008

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Knowledge Conference

I begin by paying my respects to the Mouhenenner people, the traditional owners of the land where we gather today. I pay my respects to your elders, to the ancestors and to those who have come before us.

3 July, 2008

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Video - Response to government to the national apology to the Stolen Generations

Video - Let the healing begin Response to government to the national apology to the Stolen Generations By Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Wednesday, 13 February 2008 Member’s Hall, Parliament House...

13 February, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Women at Work... (2007)

I want to start by acknowledging that we are gathered on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and pay my respect to their elders past and present.

27 October, 2007

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Can the end ever justify the means?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and acting Race Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

18 September, 2007

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Indigenous health: real solutions for a chronic problem (2007)

I would like to acknowledge the Yolngu people on whose land we are today. I would also like to thank Charles Darwin University for inviting me to speak at this Garma festival where we celebrate the Yolngu culture and world view.

6 August, 2007

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Addressing Indigenous health inequality within a generation – a call to action: Calma (2007)

There have been some improvements in recent years. But there is a long way to go. Indigenous peoples make gains but they are often smaller than those made by the non-Indigenous population - so the disparity in life chances remains static. In fact, there has been very little reduction in this inequality gap in Australia in the past decade.

4 April, 2007

Commission – General

Prevention of human rights abuses against irregular migrants: the role of National Institutions

In the age of globalisation there has been a massive increase in international migration and, as the number of international migrants has grown, so too has the problem of irregular migration. Many states have tried to stem irregular migration by introducing new border control measures and tougher criminal sanctions for people smugglers.[1] However, while effective border control is a legitimate objective of all sovereign states, state responses to the issue of irregular migration have often failed to protect the human rights of irregular migrants.[2]

24 October, 2006

Disability Rights

Launch of Accessible events -- a guide for organisers (2006)

Launch of Accessible events -- a guide for organisers Gold Coast Convention Centre 27 April 2006 Graeme Innes Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Acknowledgements Annabel Davis, President of MEA Suzie Jones, Chair of the Conference organising Committee Linda Gaunt...

27 April, 2006

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

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Thank you for joining me here today to launch the Social Justice Report and Native Title Report for 2005. Both reports were tabled in the federal Parliament 6 weeks ago on 14 February 2006.

31 March, 2006

Disability Rights

The Draft United Nations Convention on Human Rights and Disability

I do this in all my public speaking not only because it is proper to do so but because this acknowledgment reminds us that human experience has many levels of diversity, and this of course includes disability.

27 November, 2004