Establishment

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is an independent statutory body established by Australia's federal Parliament under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986.

It has four key areas of responsibility:

• Human rights education and public awareness
• Resolving complaints of discrimination and human rights violations
• Promoting human rights compliance
• Contributing to policy and legislative development.

Role and functions

The Commission is responsible for inquiring into alleged infringements under the following federal laws:

• Racial Discrimination Act 1975
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Age Discrimination Act 2004
• Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986.

It also has functions to foster public discussion; undertake and coordinate research and educational programs; conduct national inquiries on human rights and issues of major importance; review, propose or advise on legislation relating to human rights and to monitor its implementation; and make recommendations to government on policies and proposals related to human rights and discrimination issues.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner has a specific function to monitor the human rights situation and issues facing Indigenous Australians.

APF membership

The AHRC has been a member of the APF since 1996 (founding member).

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FEATURE ARTICLE

NHRIs of Australia and Nepal maintain ‘A status’ accreditation

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) has published its report on the latest session of its Subcommittee on Accreditation (SCA), which took place in October 2023. Four APF member institutions were reviewed during the sess...

Read more Read more about NHRIs of Australia and Nepal maintain ‘A status’ accreditation

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