UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Her Excellency Dr Michelle Bachelet AC, is in Sydney today to attend the Australian Human Rights Commission's Free and Equal; A National Conversation on Human Rights.
Dr Bachelet will deliver the keynote address at the conference. Her speech will focus on Australia's human rights achievements and challenges, as well as our sphere of influence in the Asia-Pacific and globally.
"We are deeply honoured to have the UN High Commissioner accepting our invitation to attend Free and Equal and we look forward to her insights and expert advice on shaping our nation's future," said the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher.
The Free and Equal event is part of the Commission's National Conversation project to explore ways of bolstering and future proofing Australia's human rights frameworks and legislation to reflect our country's shared and strong sense of rights and freedoms.
"We live in a changing world and we face ever more complex challenges, so now is the time to have the hard conversations and bring our focus back to Australia's human rights agenda," said Professor Croucher.
"All Australians must have a role to play in shaping the national conversation and defining our shared purpose for the kind of society we want Australia to be in the future."
As well as keynote speeches, the Free and Equal event will feature panel discussions with leading human rights advocates and others in the fields of law, business, civil society, academia, media, Indigenous affairs and social justice, children and young people.
The event is part of a four-day program for the Commission's National Conversation project, the outcome of which will be provided in a report to the Government in 2020.
