Australian Human Rights Commission
Annual Report November 2022
Our vision is an Australian society in which human rights are respected,
promoted and protected; where every person is free and equal in dignity and
rights. Our focus is a Commission that is connected to Australian communities
and is a valued national institution having a positive impact on the major human
rights priorities facing Australia.
We provide direct services to the Australian community, by supporting access to
justice and remedies through our conciliation team, for people to resolve
disputes about discrimination and human rights breaches. We find practical
solutions to issues of concern, advocate for systemic change, and raise
awareness of human rights and fundamental freedoms across the community.
We seed and drive systemic and long-term change through collaborations with
government, industry, and civil society and communities, to see fundamental
rights and freedoms realised. This includes providing human rights analysis to
the courts and parliamentary inquiries, conducting research, driving advocacy
and campaigns and working with diverse stakeholders to see fundamental rights
and freedoms realised.
We work with human rights bodies around the world through our international
engagement – multilateral, regional and bilateral – and in Australia monitoring
and reporting on human rights abuses by amplifying the voices of people who
are affected. This may be through addressing complaints of discrimination,
engaging with government on policy issues, setting and advancing the national
human rights agenda, engaging regionally and internationally with other national
human rights institutions, and building awareness, understanding and respect for
human rights in our workplaces and communities.
1.2 Achieving our Purpose
Driving real and systemic changes to improve the enjoyment of human rights by
all is a complex and long-term endeavour. Our remit is to both support
individuals in realising their human rights as well as embedding human rights
issues at a national level through collaboration and systemic change.
Our Corporate Plan is the roadmap that guides the Commission’s work for the
reporting period. It establishes our role as Australia’s national human rights
institution to promote and protect the human rights of everyone in Australia.
The Plan includes the Commission’s performance framework, which links the
performance criteria outlined in our 2021–2022 Portfolio Budget Statement to
the results in this Annual Report. The Commission’s performance measurement
framework is detailed in Appendix 1.
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