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State of human rights in Australia to be assessed in National Press Club address by Australian Human Rights Commission President

Wednesday 22 April 2026

Australia’s human rights record is set to be put under the microscope next week during a National Press Club address by the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

In this first edition of what will be an annual evaluation of Australia’s contemporary human rights record, Commission President Hugh de Kretser will deliver the Commission’s Australian Human Rights Assessment 2026.

President de Kretser will:

  • Report on progress and regress in relation to the rights of First Peoples, women, children, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability, older people and refugees.
  • Assess how well Australia is responding to racism and other prejudice and bridging the human rights divide between our cities and country. 
  • Gauge how well we’re upholding civil and political rights including freedom of expression and rights to peacefully protest.
  • Explore how human rights are Australian values and explain how human rights can help to fix problems such as fraying social cohesion, climate change and Australia’s housing crisis.

In a rapidly changing world with so much at stake in terms of safety, freedom, equality and justice, this is a not-to-be missed event that will have implications for leaders and workers across our government, legal, business and civil society sectors.

The inaugural Australian Human Rights Assessment is part of the Commission’s 40 Years program marking the 40th anniversary of the Commission as Australia’s national human rights institution.

Australian Human Rights Assessment 2026

ENDS | Media contact: [email protected] or 0457 281 897