This report evaluates the state of freedom in 195 countries and 15 territories during calendar year 2021. The report assesses the real-world rights and freedoms enjoyed by individuals, rather than governments or government performance per se. Political rights and civil liberties can be affected by...

Data abundance, digital connectivity and ubiquitous technology are redefining national security and the way governments protect individual rights and freedoms. This analysis examines Australia’s policy options in a world defined by big data.

This report explores the extent to which attitudes to COVID-19, lockdowns and vaccination have changed, and what sort of post-pandemic future Australians expect.

This report highlights that as COVID-19 spread across the world during the year, governments across the democratic spectrum repeatedly resorted to excessive surveillance, discriminatory restrictions on freedoms like movement and assembly, and arbitrary or violent enforcement of such restrictions by police and non-state actors.

This report maps a range of social fault lines and data-related challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has raised. In the process, it highlights some emerging best practices and lessons learned that can guide future emergency responses.

This report is a policy contribution relating to a number of matters that could enable Australia to better recognise and enliven the rights of people who, at times, need support with making decisions.

This report assess six different policy options for addressing the adverse impacts of the hostile environment on individuals and communities, and for reforming the current system of immigration enforcement in the United Kingdom.

This report explores how data and technology are shaping the future of vulnerability, particularly through new and evolving forms of inequality, intrusion and insecurity.

This paper argues that the onus is on democracies to do more to counter the harmful aspects of China’s global technology agenda, and to find ways to harness technology, including artificial intelligence, for the global public good, while preserving hard-won democratic rights and liberties.

The purpose of this research paper is to support engagement with the First Nations disability community that is considerate of their cultural values and beliefs on disability and inclusion, and acknowledges the unique traumas arising from their experiences of social isolation, inequality and discrimination.

This report provides a final summary and analysis of findings from commissioned research to deliver a series of focus groups with people living with disability. The purpose of the focus groups was to explore the use of language with respect to violence, neglect, abuse and...

This report investigates the extent and use of the Commonwealth’s legislative powers that enable it to provide support for and protect the rights of people with disability.

This paper argues that lockdowns and social distancing regulations introduced to manage the health concerns associated with COVID-19, have imposed significant social, economic and institutional costs, while being of debatable efficacy.

Australia has not made adequate progress in achieving rights for people with disability since the onset of demands within its community 60 years ago, according to this paper by researchers from the University of NSW Social Policy Research Centre.

This report assess the impacts of the hostile environment on individuals and communities. It finds that it has contributed to forcing many people into destitution, has helped to foster racism and discrimination, and has erroneously affected people with the legal right to live and work...

This discussion paper argues that parliamentary oversight of Australia’s intelligence agencies is weak, compared to others in the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence sharing alliance between Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and that increased accountability and oversight measures should be considered.

In this collection of essays, United States Studies Centre experts cover the broad array of policy positions a Biden or Trump Administration could take, and the impact for Australia.

This report represents the culmination of two years of development since the Training Centre Visitor (TCV) role and the Training Centre Visitor Unit commenced in 2017.

Mission Australia has analysed their youth survey data with a focus on young people with disability and how their experiences differ to young people without disability. This report offers a deeper understanding of what young people with disability in Australia are experiencing as it relates...

This paper advances the argument that behind any rights claim lies a moral claim, and that this moral claim is essentially a claim about human dignity. The paper also argues that defending religious freedom is important because it amounts to defending fundamental claims people wish...