National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia

Achievements

The Government has reviewed and reformed Commonwealth legislation and machinery for the protection of human rights. In 1986 it established the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

The Commission has powers in relation to human rights and to equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation. It administers the Racial Discrimination Act (1975), the Sex Discrimination Act (1984) and the Privacy Act (1988).

It also monitors Australia's compliance with a number of international agreements, the most significant of which are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention Concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation.

The Race and Sex Discrimination Commissioners have particular responsibility for monitoring Australia's compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women respectively.

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