Australian Human Rights Commission Australia and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Shadow report to the CERD Committee – 8 July 2010 • working collectively to systematically address the social determinants that impact on achieving health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 33. However, there is currently no national plan of action to implement these commitments. The National Indigenous Reform Agreement and the Integrated Strategy for Closing the Gap in Indigenous Disadvantage do not constitute a comprehensive national action plan on health. For instance, the national partnership agreements expire around 2015, which leaves a 15-year gap in planning until 2030. 34. The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health observed that: Undivided support and implementation of the Close the Gap Campaign is crucial to ensuring capacity building and empowerment of [I]ndigenous communities to take a leadership role in realising the right to health for all Australians. 23 Recommendation 14: That the Australian Government develop a comprehensive, long-term plan of action, that is targeted to need, evidencebased and capable of addressing the existing inequities in health services, in order to achieve equality of health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-indigenous Australians by 2030. 35. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience disproportionately higher levels of hearing impairment and deafness when compared with the Australian community generally. This limits their rights to health, as well as related rights to education, livelihood and participation. Their exclusion can manifest in disadvantage and discrimination in the spheres of health, education, training, employment, the criminal justice system and social and cultural participation. 36. The Senate Community Affairs References Committee has recommended the Australian Government address the educational and employment needs of Indigenous peoples with hearing loss and provide adequate support within the criminal justice system. 24 Recommendation 15: That the Australian Government address the discrimination experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with hearing impairment and deafness on the basis of their race and disability. 6.6 Indigenous education and employment (ICERD Article 5 and Declaration Article 13, 14) 37. Apart from some notable exceptions, most government and non-government schools in Australia provide a Western model of education. 25 Assimilation and the forces of mainstream culture mean that the revitalisation of Indigenous language and culture occurs at the margins of mainstream education, if at all. 12