AUSTRALIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK

ATTORNEY-GENERAL
ROBERT McCLELLAND MP

21 April 2010

AUSTRALIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK

Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, today launched Australia’s Human Rights Framework which outlines key measures to further protect and promote human rights in Australia.

The Framework acts on the key recommendations of the National Human Rights Consultation Committee and complements a number of actions the Government is already taking to encourage greater inclusion and participation in our community.

The Framework is based on five key principles and focuses on:

·         reaffirming a commitment to our human rights obligations;
·         the importance of human rights education;
·         enhancing our domestic and international engagement on human rights issues;
·         improving human rights protections, including greater parliamentary scrutiny; and
·         achieving greater respect for human rights principles within the community.

Specifically, the Framework demonstrates the Government’s commitment to positive and practical action in relation to human rights through a number of key commitments, including:

· investing over $12 million in a comprehensive suite of education initiatives to promote a greater understanding of human rights across the community;
· establishing a new Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights to provide greater scrutiny of legislation for compliance with our international human rights obligations;
· requiring that each new Bill introduced into Parliament is accompanied by a statement of compatibility with our international human rights obligations;
· combining federal anti-discrimination laws into a single Act to remove unnecessary regulatory overlap and make the system more user-friendly; and
· creating an annual NGO Human Rights Forum to enable comprehensive engagement with non-government organisations on human rights matters.
These changes are designed to have broad effect and will enhance the understanding of, and respect for, human rights across the Australian community.
The Human Rights Framework is attached and available at www.ag.gov.au/humanrightsframework.
Media Contact: Adam Siddique 0407 473 630
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