(iii) National Human Rights Action Plan 2012 One of the key actions in Australia’s Human Rights Framework was the introduction of a national action plan on human rights. The concept of a national action plan for human rights was put forward by Australia during the June 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights. It was adopted as a recommendation in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.22 Australia was the first to develop its own national action plan under the Programme of Action, for an initial 4-year period beginning in 1994. The approach then was for the Australian Government to prepare the plan after extensive consultation within government, and with states, territories and civil society. The original plan was updated twice, in 1995 and 1996–7, before a new version emerged in 2005: Australia’s National Framework for Human Rights: National Action Plan. The Development of a third National Human Rights Action Plan was a key commitment of the 2010 Framework under the principles of ‘reaffirm’ and ‘engage’ – to outline future action for the promotion and protection of human rights and to assist in restoring Australia’s reputation as a ‘good international citizen’.23 The National Human Rights Action Plan was released on Human Rights Day 2012, following consultation with state and territory governments and non-government organisations and the development of a ‘Baseline Study’ on key human rights issues in Australia.24 The National Action Plan was introduced without any dedicated additional funding to implement it. It also tended to reflect existing commitments that had been made by the Government. The Action Plan prioritised Australian Government actions, ‘taking into account available resources and focusing on practical outcomes’.26 The Plan included a range of programs and laws already in place to strengthen human rights protections and improve opportunities for all Australians, and actions the Government had initiated in the course of developing the Action Plan. These included: • laying the foundations for the launch of a National Disability Insurance Scheme, to provide people with disability access to care and support services they need over the course of their lifetime, including $1 billion in funding for the first stage from the Australian Government • establishing a new National Children’s Commissioner within the Australian Human Rights Commission • ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture The National Human Rights Action Plan was intended to be accessible to every Australian, provide a broad overview of policies and practices to protect human rights, accord equal priority to all human rights, and set out strategic priorities for future action. The National Human Rights Action Plan was informed by Australia’s participation in the first Universal Periodic Review before the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011 and acceptance of approximately 95% of the 38 Council’s recommendations.25 The Australian Human Rights Commission had advocated for the Government to turn all accepted recommendations in that process into specific actions in the Action Plan to improve and promote human rights. • investigating ways that the justice system can address the needs of people with a mental illness and/or cognitive disability (including intellectual disability and acquired brain injury) • undertaking a review of reservations under the seven core international human rights treaties • the $3.7 billion Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package to create a flexible and seamless system that provides older Australians with more choice, control and easier access to a full range of services, where they want it and when they need it FREE & EQUAL: Revitalising Australia’s Commitment to Human Rights