Glossary - Annual Report 2009-2010: Australian Human Rights Commission

A

ADA

Age Discrimination Act 2004

AHRCA

Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

APF

Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions

– A member-based organisation that supports the establishment and strengthening of independent human rights institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

APS

Australian Public Service

ASTRA

Australian Subscription Television Association

ASX

Australian Securities Exchange

ATSIC

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission

AusAID

Australian Agency for International Development

Action Plan

A voluntary mechanism for organisations to structure their own compliance efforts.

Amicus curiae

‘Friend of the court’

– The role of an amicus curiae is to provide special assistance to the court in resolving issues raised by the case and to draw attention to aspects of the case that might otherwise have been overlooked.

B

Braille

A tactile form of reading and writing used by people who are blind or vision impaired, invented by Louis Braille in 1829.

C

CDS

Commonwealth Disability Strategy

CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

COAG

Council of Australian Governments

CSW

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Commission, the

The Australian Human Rights Commission

Consultancy contract

A contract that typically defines the nature, purpose and duration of the task to be performed, but not (in any detail) the manner in which the task is to be performed by a consultant. The consultant is usually paid on completion of milestones or in a lump sum.

Consultancy service

A particular type of service delivered under a contract for services, distinguished from other contracts by the nature of the work performed. Consultancy services involve the application of expert professional skills to: investigate or diagnose a defined issue or problem, carry out defined research, reviews or evaluations; or provide independent advice, information or creative solutions to assist the agency in management decision making.

Consultant

An entity (whether an individual, a partnership or a corporation) engaged to provide professional independent and expert advice or services. Consultants are not employees of the department and are not paid wages or other employee entitlements.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility is generally understood to mean that corporations have a degree of responsibility not only for the economic consequences of their activities, but also for the social and environmental implications. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘triple bottom line’ approach that considers the economic, social and environmental aspects of corporate activity.

D

DDA

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

DPO

Disabled People’s Organisations

DTP

Diplomacy Training Program

E

EL

Executive Level

EMRIP

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Expert Mechanism

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

– Composed of five experts (from Congo, Malaysia, Norway, Costa Rica and the Philippines), the Expert Mechanism provides thematic expertise on the rights of indigenous peoples to the Human Rights Council, the main human rights body of the United Nations.

F

FaHCSIA

Department of Families, Housing, Community Service and Indigenous Affairs

G

GST

Goods and Services Tax

General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly

– One of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation. Its powers are to oversee the budget of the United Nations, appoint the non-permanent members to the Security Council, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations and make recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions.

H

HRTC

Human Rights Technical Cooperation Program

– In August 1997, China and Australia initiated a high level dialogue on human rights during the course of which it was agreed that the two countries would undertake a program of technical cooperation. The goal of the Program is to strengthen the administration, promotion and protection of human rights in China.

I

ICCPR

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

– A multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976, which commits its parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights and rights to due process and a fair trial.

IHRNA

Indigenous Human Rights Network Australia

ILO

International Labour Organization

– The world’s only tripartite multilateral agency, which is dedicated to bringing decent work and livelihoods, job-related security and better living standards to the people of both poor and rich countries.

IPO

Indigenous Peoples Organisations Network of Australia

– An association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations promoting and protecting the human rights of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

K

K-12

A designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. The expression is a shortening of Kindergarten (4-6-year-old) through 12th grade or grade 12 (16-19 years old), the first and last grades of free education in the United States, Australia and English Canada.

L

LOTE

Language Other Than English

N

NAIDOC

National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee

NDIS

National Disability Insurance Scheme

NES

National Employment Standard

NESB

non-English speaking background

NGO

Non Government Organisation

– A legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term is usually applied only to organisations that pursue some wider social aim that has political aspects.

NHRI

National Human Rights Institution

NT

Northern Territory

NTER

Northern territory Emergency Response

National Action Plan

National Action Plan to Build on Social Cohesion, Harmony and Security

National Plan

National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women

Native title

A pre-existing property interest, held communally or individually by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders, which is capable of being recognised by Australia’s common law. Native title can exist over land and waters where Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders maintain traditional laws and customs that give them a connection to the specified area. Native title rights are not granted by governments or courts. Native title is not an underlying title but rather a bundle of rights that can be extinguished by inconsistent acts of government.

O

OPCAT

Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

– An international agreement which establishes a two-tiered system of inspections of places of detention, with the aim of preventing torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Operations

Functions, services and processes performed in pursuing the objectives or discharging the functions of an agency.

Outcomes

The results, impacts or consequence of actions by the Commission on the Australian community.

Outputs

The goods or services produced by agencies on behalf of government for external organisations or individuals. Outputs include goods and services produced for other areas of government external to an agency.

P

Pacific Disability Forum

The peak non-government organisation in the Pacific representing Pacific Islanders with disabilities, their rights and entitlements. Its purpose is to promote and facilitate Pacific regional cooperation on disability-related concerns for the benefit of people with disabilities.

Permanent Forum

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

– An advisory body to the United Nations Economic and Social Council with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

R

RAP

Reconciliation Action Plan

– A self-generated plan that helps organisations build positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, through engagement within their sphere of influence, in the national effort to close the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and other Australians.

RDA

Racial Discrimination Act 1975

RMIT

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

S

SDA

Sex Discrimination Act 1984

SES

Senior Executive Service

SMS

Short message service

– text messaging on a mobile telephone.

Service charter

Public statements about the service that a department or agency will provide.

Special Rapporteur

A title given to individuals working on behalf of the United Nations who bear a specific mandate from the UN Human Rights Council to investigate, monitor and recommend solutions to human rights problems. This appointment in made by the UN Secretary General.

T

TTY

Text Telephone

– A special device that lets people who are deaf, hearing impaired, or speech-impaired use the telephone to communicate, by allowing them to type messages back and forth to one another, instead of talking and listening.

U

UN

The United Nations

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

– Established on 16 November 1945 and based in Paris, UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations which has 193 Member States and seven Associate Members. Its stated mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO’s two global priorities are Africa and gender equality.

UNPFII

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

– An advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

UPR

Universal Periodic Review

– A State-driven process under the auspices of the Human Rights Council which involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN Member States once every four years. It provides the opportunity for each State to declare the actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Adopted unanimously by the members of the United Nations on 10 December 1948, it is the foundation on which much international law has been based. It sets out the fundamental rights of all people, including the right to life; freedom from slavery, torture and arbitrary arrest; freedom of thought, opinion and religion; the right to a fair trial and equality before the law; the right to work and education; and the right to participate in the social, political and cultural life of one’s country.

W

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Workplace diversity

The central principle of workplace diversity is the creation of workplaces free from discrimination, harassment and bullying.