March 2002

Project outline

The project’s vision is a more just and equitable society in Australia:

• where human rights principles underpin social justice policy

where human rights practice is accepted as usual business where human rights knowledge is sought and valued where human rights skills and resources are widely available.

The project will report on current human rights capabilities among non-governmental social justice organisations in Australia. It will describe means of enhancing those capabilities on a continuing and viable basis, independently of government, through a national human rights non-governmental organisation.

Guided by a consultative committee, the project will liaise with key human rights organisations in Australia.

The need for the project

Human rights and national NGOs

National non-governmental human rights organisations are a feature of most Western democracies. They provide expertise to the community sector, engage in research for the development of social policy, and advocate directly to government.

Non-government organisations throughout Europe and North America are committed to the development of an effective human rights ethos in their own countries. Such organisations have as their objects, for example,

In Australia we have no such national non-governmental human rights organisation, although there are organisations which undertake some aspect of this work. This project will investigate the need for and basis of a national organisation in Australia.

No national human rights NGO in Australia

Over 40 organisations attend the human rights briefings from the Federal government, and another 35 organisations have registered ‘human rights’ in their incorporated name. There is little co-ordination, sharing of information, or alliances towards common goals.

This project will investigate the basis for co-operation among the existing organisations, and ways in which their activities might be extended.

The retreat from human rights in Australia

Australia has been active in promoting human rights principles in the region, and in adopting human rights treaties and conventions. But commitment to implementing enforceable human rights in Australia has declined markedly. There are clear signs that, contrary to the direction being taken by the international community, Australia is stepping away from a commitment to human rights principles and practices.

adopt a “more economical and selective approach” to providing reports and sending representatives to appear before UN Committees. It will agree to treaty bodies visits only when “there is a compelling reason to do so”, and will reject “unwarranted requests from treaty committees to delay removal of unsuccessful asylum seekers from Australia”. Australia’s recent approach to its human rights obligations has been highly controversial, criticised widely in Australia and internationally.

This project will develop a model for a national non-governmental human rights organisation to lead a response to Australia’s declining commitment to human rights.

Poor human rights awareness in Australia

Public debate continues to demonstrate the very low level of understanding in the community, and among political and opinion leaders, of human rights principles and practice.

This project will develop a model for a national non-governmental human rights organisation to promote awareness, understanding and use of human rights principles, particularly among policy-makers, corporations, and organisations concerned with social justice for disadvantaged people.

Project outcomes

The project’s principal outcome will be the description of a viable and effective national human rights non-governmental organisation for Australia, based on a survey of the needs of social justice NGOs..

Survey of capabilities

The project will report on current human rights capabilities - -The survey findings will form the basis for developing the second outcome of the project. In their own right the survey findings will be a resource for governments, non-government organisations, and social justice advocates.

A sustainable response

The project report will set out a range of strategies to address the short-comings identified in the survey. It will assess the appropriateness of a national NGO against other possible models, and examine its feasibility. The most important matter to be assessed will be the organisation’s financial resources and long term viability.

Methodology

Consultative Committee

Project implementation will be overseen by a consultative committee of human rights experts.

Phase one: survey of capabilities

Phase one will survey the human rights activity in the non-government sector Australia.

‘Capabilities’ are an organisation’s capacity to engage in human rights education, policy development and advocacy, having regard to knowledge and skills, allocation of personnel and time, funds, resources, and access to expertise.

Human rights academics and practitioners will be interviewed to obtain expert opinion on current issues in human rights in Australia. Interviews will be conducted with relevant bureaucrats, and with politicians and corporations, to assess their perception of the relevance of human rights to public policy formulation, and their opinion of NGOs’ effectiveness in lobbying for change.

Project staff will survey social justice NGOs, and individuals active in human rights in Australia. Access to organisations will be facilitated by liaison with peak bodies such as the various Councils of Social Services. Project staff will review documentation, and conduct a literature review and news media search.

Phase two: feasibility of a national human rights NGO

Phase two will assess the feasibility of a national NGO to ensure the development, co-ordination and delivery of strategies for meeting the needs identified in Phase one. Strategies would include secondary, professional and community education; research; lobbying, promotion and publication; consultancy services; legal advocacy, and representation; corporate and government partnerships.

The appropriateness of establishing a national NGO will be assessed against other possible models: a co-ordinated network of expertise, expanded capabilities within existing organisations, and a not-for-profit consultancy. The design of a national NGO will based on analysis of existing Australian organisations (knowledge from Phase one); literature relating to human rights activity and to non-governmental organisations; expert opinion; comparable overseas experience; and analysis of the current and prospective Australian political and economic context.

Feasibility of a national NGO will be assessed having regard to structure and governance, funding and development, interagency co-operation, government and corporate relations, and strategies and programs.

Capacity to undertake the project

Consultative Committee

Members of the consultative committee are expert in human rights thinking and practice in Australia. Their expertise is recognised internationally. As well they have extensive experience in conducting and managing research and analysis.

Project supervision

The project committee of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights Inc (ALHR) comprises members of the elected committee of ALHR, experienced in a wide range of socio-legal justice activities.

Project leader

Simon Rice has extensive experience relevant to the project: in human rights practice, organisational management, the conduct of research, and report writing.

Simon ran Australia’s largest anti-discrimination legal practice at Kingsford Legal Centre, and is a judicial member of the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal, formerly the Equal Opportunity Tribunal. After 6 years as Director of Kingsford Legal Centre he was Director of the Law Foundation of NSW for 5 years. He was for 4 years a part-time board member of the NSW Legal Aid Commission, and has served on many boards of management. He has researched non-government funding and development for NGOs, and has worked with Philanthropy Australia on such issues.

Simon is President of ALHR. He writes and speaks on a range of human rights issues, and liaises with a wide network of human rights advocates nationally and internationally. He has conducted and supervised both quantitative and qualitative research, and has supervised, edited and written research reports on access to justice. He is an experienced grants administrator, familiar with grant reporting requirements.

Simon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts majoring in political science and industrial relations, a Bachelor’s degree in law, and a Master’s degree in Education

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