Human Rights Week 2024

Human Rights Week 2024

International Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This year’s Human Rights Week (Vic) is from 3 – 10 December 2024 and we are partnering with our affiliate organisations to put Human Rights in Action.

If you would like to improve your knowledge of Human Rights and apply this knowledge in a practical way, sign up to take part in daily actions on the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission’s website.

At the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, we take a human rights-based approach and the principles of the Mental Health Act 2022 (the Act) and the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 guide all our work. When people contact us, we help them understand and exercise their rights and advise them on the next steps using a rights-based, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented approach.

We invite all Victorians to engage in activities and start and continue conversations about human rights.

Actions

To do now (2-5 minutes)

Watch our video: Watch Maggie Toko, Consumer Commissioner, Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (the Commission) and Dan Stubbs, Commissioner, Victorian Disability Workers Commission talk about how important the mental health and wellbeing principles (the Principles) are, for mental health consumers, carers, families and kin. They will explore how the Rights intersect within the mental health, wellbeing, and disability sectors.

To do this week (30 - 40 minutes)

1. Improve your knowledge of the Act: The Act has a set of core mental health and wellbeing principles. Mental health and wellbeing service providers are required to make all reasonable efforts to comply with the Principles and to give proper consideration to them when making a decision under the Act. Improve your knowledge and find out more about these Principles. Understanding the Act helps individuals know their rights and principles within Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system, ensuring they are treated with dignity and respect. It empowers everyone to actively participate in the decision-making processes related to treatment and care.
2. Exercise your right to complain. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission can receive and deal with complaints about a mental health and wellbeing service provider’s failure to make all reasonable efforts to comply with the mental health and wellbeing principles. Find out more by visiting our page for consumers carers, families and kin. To make a complaint about a mental health and wellbeing service, visit our make a complaints page or, to make a complaint about a disability support worker, including one who supports you in the mental health and wellbeing space, visit www.vdwc.vic.gov.au