A reform agenda for federal discrimination laws 1 December 2021 Free and Equal – A national conversation on human rights This Position Paper sets out the Australian Human Rights Commission’s proposals for reforming federal discrimination law in Australia. It forms part of the Commission’s Free and Equal project: A National conversation on human rights. Terms of Reference, National conversation on human rights (extract)1 The national conversation project seeks to identify what makes an effective system of human rights protection for 21st century Australia, and what steps Australia needs to take to get there. The project is considering possible actions to ensure that: a.) the community understands human rights and is able to protect them (for themselves and others) b.) communities are resilient and a protective factor against human rights violations c.) law and policy makers explicitly consider the impact on human rights of their decisions and are accountable for this impact d.) robust institutions exist to promote and protect human rights e.) government and the community can work together to fully realise human rights—understanding the respective role of each other f.) public servants, and contracted service providers, see the protection of human rights as core business in exercising their functions g.) other issues that are identified as priorities for human rights protection by the Australian community are addressed. The project will also: a.) Promote awareness of the importance of human rights to 21st century Australia b.) Identify current limitations in the promotion and protection of human rights at the national level c.) Identify the key principles and elements of a human rights reform agenda to modernize our system of human rights protection d.) Build partnerships and consensus on the future actions required to better protect and promote human rights across the Parliament, government and the community. FREE AND EQUAL An Australian Conversation on Human Rights 13