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2025 Youth Forum Statement: Human Rights Protection for NSW

A large student group at parliament

On 11 September 2025, the Centre for Law and Social Justice and Australian Lawyers for Human rights hosted a Youth Forum on human rights protection for NSW. The event brought together 60 high school students from 21 diverse schools in the Hunter and Sydney regions at NSW Parliament in Sydney. Forum participants were welcomed to Parliament by several MPs, including host Jenny Leong MP who has since introduced a private member’s Human Rights Bill to Parliament.

The School Students’ Statement on Human Rights Protection for NSW reflects the lived experiences and views of the participating students. The forum participants called on the NSW Parliament to pass a Human Rights Act for NSW. These were their core messages for decision-makers:

  • Human rights apply to everyone, regardless of the differences amongst us – human rights are for all humans;
  • No rights should be held higher than others – human rights all have equal status;
  • The human rights of young people are not subservient to the rights of adults;
  • Governments must not deny or violate human rights;
  • Australia, especially NSW, is behind as a society in terms of protecting human rights – we need legislative change to advance the wellbeing of everyone in our community;
  • NSW law does not offer comprehensive legal protection for the human rights of its people;
  • Human rights are important for young people, and we want the confidence and security that our rights are protected in law;
  • Legislative protection for human rights would benefit all people in NSW;
  • We do not receive enough education around our human rights in our schooling or later in our lives – everyone in NSW and Australia ought to be informed about their rights;
  • With better rights protection and more education about our human rights, together we can shape a better future for our society.
Youth Forum: Right to Participate in Public and Political Life (2024)



On Wednesday 6 November, the Centre for Law and Social Justice in collaboration with the Australian Lawyers for Human rights and Human Rights for New South Wales Alliance, hosted a Youth Forum on the Right to Participation. The event brought together 80 high school students from 17 schools across the Hunter region of NSW to discuss the right to  participation in the context of human rights. The students collaboratively drafted the 'School Students' Statement on the Right to Participate in Public and Political Life.' Students ranges from 13 to 17 years of age. The forum was co-convened by Nicholas Stewart, President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, and Anastasia Raivska, Protest Rights Campaigner at the Australian Democracy Network. For more information including a full gallery click here.

Youth Forum: Right to a Healthy Environment (2023)

On Tuesday 8 November 2023, the Centre for Law and Social Justice in collaboration with Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Human Rights for New South Wales Alliance, hosted a Youth Forum on the Right to a Healthy Environment. The event brought together 55 high school students from 12 schools across the Hunter region of NSW to discuss the right to a healthy environment in the context of human rights. Students collaboratively drafted the 'School Students' Statement on the Right to a Healthy Environment.' The Forum was co-convened with Annika Reynolds, Climate Policy Advisor at Ember and Isabel Moss, Disability Justice Liaison Officer at Canberra Community Law. For more information including a full gallery click here.

Youth Forum: Right to Education (2022)

On Tuesday 1 November 2022, the Centre for Law and Social Justice, in collaboration with the Human Rights for NSW Alliance, hosted a Youth Forum on the Right to Education. This event brought together 70 high school students from 17 schools across the Hunter region of NSW to discuss the right to education in the context of human rights. Students engaged in a collaborative writing session to draft the 'School Students' Statement on the Right to Education.' For more information including a full gallery click here.