3. About the Commission 3.1 Our vision and purpose An Australian society in which human rights are respected, protected and promoted through independent investigation and resolution of complaints, exercise of regulatory functions, contributions to law and policy reforms, research, education, partnerships, and monitoring and reporting on human rights. – AHRC PBS Outcome Statement 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. Where the Commission is connected to Australian communities and is a valued national institution having a positive impact on the human rights priorities facing Australia. Our purpose is to promote and protect the human rights of everyone in Australia. We do this through advising all arms of government and a range of public and private institutions; contributing to stronger law, policy and practice; delivering accessible and effective investigation and conciliation services; engaging inclusively with civil society communities and the private sector; raising human rights awareness and providing human rights education; and working with partners to build a stronger culture of respect for human rights. Our strategic priorities and operations are determined independently of government in line with our 2022–2025 Strategic Plan and internal governance framework. The Commission is Australia’s national human rights institution (NHRI). We are accredited internationally as an ‘A status’ NHRI. This accreditation is regularly reviewed through United Nations sanctioned processes by the Global Alliance of NHRIs (GANHRI), with the Commission successfully achieving reaccreditation in November 2023. To achieve ‘A status’, NHRIs must be established and operate in compliance with the United Nations Principles Relating to the Status of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights – commonly known as the ‘Paris Principles’. The Principles require us to operate in a robust, independent manner to provide accountability for human rights in Australia. 3.2 Achieving our purpose Driving change to improve people’s human rights can be a complex and long-term endeavour. We apply a human rights-based approach of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, equality, empowerment. We have specialist expertise in this practice and use this to elevate the voices of people and communities whose human rights are at risk. Our Corporate Plan guides our work in the reporting period. The plan includes the Commission’s monitoring and performance framework, which links our goals, outcomes and indicators outlined in our 2023–2024 Portfolio Budget Statement to the results in this Annual Report. The Commission’s performance measurement framework is detailed in Appendix 1. Annual Report 2023–2024 • 9