Calma congratulated for his work in Indigenous affairs and race relations
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“Commissioner Calma has made outstanding contributions to human rights protections in Indigenous affairs and race relations during his five and a half years with the Australian Human Rights Commission,” said Commission President Cathy Branson QC.
“His work in developing the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples is but one of Tom’s many achievements in his role as Commissioner,” Branson said.
Other achievements mentioned by Branson include:
- His leadership of the Close the Gap Campaign to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians
- Promoting economic development through recognition of Indigenous peoples’ traditional land tenure systems
- Highlighting climate change and its effects on Indigenous peoples
- Community based solutions addressing family violence and child abuse in Indigenous communities
- Ensuring effective representation of Indigenous peoples in government policy making processes and service delivery
- Formal government endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Delivering the 2009 Mabo Oration
- Continued advocacy for members of the Stolen Generations and delivering the formal response in Parliament House on their behalf to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s National Apology.
“The Australian Human Rights Commission would like to congratulate Commissioner Calma on his outstanding public service and wish him and his family a happy and healthy future,” Branson said.
Calma reflects on his term with the Australian Human Rights Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission announced the release of a new series of Pod Rights, 12 podcasts that will look at and delve into important issues in the human rights world.
The first Pod Rights pod cast features Disability and Race Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, reflecting with Calma about his term as both Social Justice Commissioner and as the former Race Discrimination Commissioner.
