Australia is prioritizing the National Agreement on Closing the Gap by committing to all six specified areas. Priority Reforms under this Agreement require Australian governments at all levels to collaborate with Indigenous Australians to plan and implement programs, services, and policies that will improve our quality of life. These reforms encourage self-determination and advancement in human rights, education, the environment, economic and social development, and culture.
All Australian governments are obligated to follow the Priority Reforms.
- Build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector; Strengthen and build formal collaborations and shared decision-making;
- Improve the performance of government agencies for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and
- Providing access to data and information to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities make informed decisions.
- The UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), in particular, and other United Nations documents on the rights of Indigenous peoples agree with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Unfortunately, there are now unbridgeable inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, depriving First Nations Australians of the right to equal opportunities, choices, and quality of life.
The Australian Government is dedicated to ensuring Indigenous Australians’ viewpoints are actively considered and included in formal decision-making processes. This commitment involves carrying out the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders prepared and delivered in 2017 after considerable consultation with Indigenous Australians nationwide. The Uluru Statement from the Heart outlined a plan for constructing a better future that included a Makarrata Commission for establishing treaties and telling the truth and a First Nations Voice to Parliament found in the Constitution.
This year, a national vote will decide whether to include a Voice to Parliament and to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s original inhabitants. Establishing a permanent mechanism for First Nations Australians to advise Parliament and the Executive Government on how to successfully implement laws, policies, and programs that affect us will result from constitutional recognition, which will formally acknowledge more than 65,000 years of continuous connection to culture.
Australia is dedicated to integrating Indigenous viewpoints into our interactions with the world. A concrete example of this is my selection as the first Ambassador for First Nations People in Australia and as the Office of First Nations Engagement director. I will be responsible for integrating First Nations viewpoints and interests into Australia’s foreign policy. The knowledge and skills we have gained via collaboration with Australian First Nations individuals, communities, and organizations are reflected in our worldwide interactions.
My job will also support the expansion of First Nations trade and investment, assist Australia in advancing the rights of First Nations in global fora, and strengthen Australia’s regional engagement by encouraging cooperation on common goals, such as addressing climate change.
