The Victorian Government is building multicultural capacity within our departments and embedding human rights knowledge and practices at every level of government.
All government departments have been part of the VEOHRC-led Charter Education Program. The program is helping to build a culture of human rights across the public service.
The following section sets out initiatives from each department.
Department of Education
DE is committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities by actively implementing, promoting and supporting human rights, including for multicultural communities. DE supports its staff to increase their capacity to make decisions and provide advice consistent with the Charter through tailored learning guides, events and activities.
To better understand the Charter, DE hosted 3 Charter Leadership briefings facilitated by the VEOHRC.
Also, all staff complete a mandatory e-learn introducing them to the Charter and its relationship to their work during their induction.
Throughout the year, DE builds on this foundational knowledge by acknowledging and encouraging participation in events and days that promote diversity, inclusion and cultural awareness.
Over the reporting period, DE published staff communications to promote inclusive and respectful workplaces, Cultural Diversity Week, Human Rights Week and Human Rights Day through its Corporate News. DE encouraged staff to celebrate these events by taking part in the VEOHRC’s week of daily actions and attending relevant events and training. These communications help foster a culture of respect, diversity and inclusion.
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
DEECA is committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Charter by actively implementing, promoting and supporting human rights, including for multicultural communities.
DEECA took part in the VEOHRC Charter Education Program in 2024–25. This included delivering tailored sessions to senior leaders and teams, with modules focused on the following learning objectives:
- understanding how the Charter operates
- building knowledge of the protected human rights
- journey mapping decision-making under the Charter and identifying actions to embed and improve practice
- identifying public sector obligations and how human rights can be lawfully limited
- exploring relevant scenarios to apply human rights in day-to-day work
- knowing where to go for more information and resources.
During 2025 DEECA worked with the VEOHRC to deliver the Charter Capability Program with the First Peoples Self Determination Division. This focused on building a human rights culture so all Victorians are treated equally and with dignity and respect. The program deepened knowledge on rights and obligations under the Charter, including how to identify and manage risk. Staff are also supported to develop actions for embedding the Charter within their teams.
The Charter of Human Rights in Victoria online education program is available through the department’s Learning Management System. These e-learning modules address the rights and obligations under equal opportunity and human rights laws. The modules build general awareness of human rights and discrimination in workplaces and develop awareness of the benefits of embedding a culture of human rights at work.
DEECA also acknowledges key events that celebrate human rights including Cultural Diversity Week, Human Rights Week and the International Day of Human Rights.
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
DFFH has a mandated e-learning module during induction to introduce staff to the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and its relationship to their work. Anti-racism training is mandatory for people leaders and is delivered in an instructor-led format. All executives have a diversity performance outcome in their personal development plans to embed diversity and inclusion across the department.
DFFH also takes part in annual events that celebrate human rights, including:
- Cultural Diversity Week
- International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Human Rights Day
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
- International Day of People with Disability
- International Women’s Day
- NAIDOC Week
- Reconciliation Week.
Department of Government Services
In partnership with the VEOHRC, DGS ran the Charter of Human Rights Education Program for staff in 2024–25, including:
- a series of briefings for executive leaders on their responsibilities under the Charter, with a focus on thematic topics such as privacy, Aboriginal cultural rights and housing
- promoting the VPS Charter webinar series for all staff, which considers the Charter in relation to specific topics such as advancing disability rights and gender equality
- an intensive Charter Capability Program for staff from Births Deaths and Marriages and Consumer Affairs Victoria to deepen their understanding and implementation of the Charter.
DGS has also mandated that all staff complete the VEOHRC’s Charter e-learn.
Department of Health
DH is committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Charter by actively promoting and supporting human rights considerations and obligations in the design and implementation of policies and procedures.
DH supports senior leadership to increase their understanding and capacity to make decisions and provide advice consistent with the Charter through the Charter Leadership Briefings and the Charter and Human Rights and Responsibilities e-learn (managers, legal and policy officers). All staff complete mandatory e-learns in onboarding and every 2 years thereafter.
The following sessions were completed in 2024–25:
- Charter Education Program (instructor-led)
- Charter Leadership Briefings (instructor-led)
- Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities for managers and legal and policy officers (e-learn)
- Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (e-learn)
- Unconscious Bias (e-learn).
The Charter Guide for Public Sector Workers, Human Rights in Focus webinars and public sector implementation information is available on the DH intranet to help staff understand their responsibilities and to guide implementation in their work.
DH also acknowledges key events that celebrate human rights including Cultural Diversity Week, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Human Rights Week and the International Day of Human Rights. Other aligned and supporting days of significance are also acknowledged or celebrated.
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
DJSIR actively supports human rights, including for multicultural communities. DJSIR staff have access to tailored learning, guides and resources, events and activities that help them act in line with Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
DJSIR encourages all staff to complete the first 3 modules in the VEOHRC’s online education program, which cover:
- introducing the Charter
- rights and obligations under the Charter
- embedding a human rights culture in Victoria.
DJSIR also provides staff with the Charter guide for public sector workers to help them understand their responsibilities and how to implement human rights.
DJSIR celebrates annual human rights events such as Cultural Diversity Week, Refugee Week, Human Rights Week and the International Day of Human Rights.
The department also supports the right for every person in Victoria to take part in public life without discrimination, including in the conduct of public affairs such as participating on the boards of Victorian Government entities. DJSIR has taken active steps to ensure diversity and skills information has been updated across the entities to help identify gaps when considering potential appointments to boards. Diversity information has also been collected from potential candidates through expression of interest processes conducted for entities in the Tourism, Sport and Major Events (TSME) portfolio. This helps to identify people with certain diversity characteristics within the candidate pool.
People from diverse backgrounds were represented on the following TSME boards and committees:
- Australian Grand Prix Corporation
- Kardinia Park Stadium Trust
- Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust
- Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust
- Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board
- Puffing Billy Railway Board
- State Sport Centres Trust
- Victorian Convention and Event Trust
- Victorian Institute of Sport
- Visit Victoria
- Yarra Park Advisory Committee.
Diverse representation on TSME boards and committees has steadily progressed. For example, 47% of members identify as women, 44% were born overseas (or have a parent born overseas) and 23% identify as culturally, religiously or linguistically diverse.
Board members across the Game Management Authority and Victorian Fisheries Authority include diverse groups. For instance, 65% of board members identify as women, 53% identify as being from a diverse multicultural background and another 53% live regionally.
Across 15 creative industries boards, 37 positions were appointed or renewed during 2024–25. These appointments were made via a 2024 Creative Victoria expression of interest to improve the diversity of candidates. The process resulted in 15 of the 37 appointments representing a multicultural background.
Department of Justice and Community Safety
DJCS is committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities by actively implementing, promoting and supporting human rights, including for multicultural communities.
The department upholds the Victorian public sector values, including the human rights value.
DJCS’s learning and capability agenda supports a focus on human rights. This includes:
- implementing the Charter e-learn education program covering 6 modules, of which 3 are for all staff and 3 are for legal and policy staff and managers
- taking part in the VEOHRC’s Charter Education Program
- staff accessing free VEOHRC-run seminars
- a range of respect in the workplace e-learns (mandatory) and facilitated in-person sessions
- Aboriginal Cultural Safety workshops.
DJCS’s diversity action plans contribute to a focus on human rights. In addition to the Multicultural and Multifaith Action Plan 2023–2027, DJCS’s Gender Equality Action Plan 2021–2025, the Disability Action Plan 2022–2026 and the LGBTIQA+ Action Plan 2025–2028 contribute to upholding human rights, taking an intersectional approach.
Department of Premier and Cabinet
In partnership with the VEOHRC, DGS ran the Charter of Human Rights Education Program for staff in 2024, which included:
- briefings for executive leaders on their responsibilities under the Charter, with a focus on thematic topics such as privacy, Aboriginal cultural rights and housing
- promoting the VPS Charter webinar series for all staff, which considered the Charter in relation to specific topics such as advancing disability rights and gender equality
- an intensive Charter Capability Program for staff from the Treaty team to deepen their understanding and implementation of the Charter
- a mandatory e-learn on the Charter.
Department of Transport and Planning
DTP uses the VEOHRC-developed modules. These modules build awareness of human rights and responsibilities under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities within Victorian public authorities.
The 6 modules are:
- Module 1: An overview of the Charter
- Module 2: Protected rights and obligations under the Charter
- Module 3: What it means to build a culture of human rights in Victoria
- Module 4: Complaints and remedies
- Module 5: The legislative process
- Module 6: Courts and tribunals.
The training is part of DTP’s Mandatory Compliance Curricula.
All staff, including contractors, must complete the first 4 modules, and managers must complete all 6 as part of their mandatory compliance training. Retraining is every 2 years.
Department of Treasury and Finance
In partnership with the VEOHRC, DGS ran the Charter of Human Rights Education Program for DTF staff in 2024. This included:
- briefings for executive leaders on their responsibilities under the Charter, with a focus on thematic topics such as privacy, Aboriginal cultural rights and housing
- promoting the VPS Charter webinar series for all staff, which considers the Charter in relation to specific topics such as advancing disability rights and gender equality
- an intensive Charter Capability Program for staff from the Treaty team to deepen their understanding and implementation of the Charter
- a mandatory e-learn on the Charter.
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