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In December 2025, a treaty between Victorian First Peoples and the Australian state of Victoria came into effect, the first to be enacted in the nation. It followed decades of activism by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Victoria, calling for justice and greater say over their lives and futures. Since 2019, the treaty process has been led by the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, the Aboriginal representative body established under the Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians Act 2018, in conjunction with the Treaty Advancement Commissioner. The path to the treaty required a painful yet pivotal process of truth-telling, led by First Peoples.
In July 2025, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, Australia's first formal truth-telling inquiry into historic and ongoing systemic injustices perpetrated against First Peoples through colonization, tabled its findings to Parliament. It found that the, “First Peoples in Victoria have a fundamental right to self-determination…Treaty is an expression of self-determination and a method for the transfer of decision-making power, authority, control and resources to First Peoples.”
These momentous developments were discussed at “Treaty and Truth: A New Chapter for Indigenous Governance,” a global discussion event on March 11, 2026. The event was hosted by the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) program, based at the University of Melbourne, and the Atlantic Institute, based at Rhodes House in Oxford. The University of Melbourne’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, welcomed the audience, noting the significance of the landmark Victorian Statewide Treaty for Australia and the wider world.
Damien Miller, AFSE Executive Director, who moderated the event, opened by underscoring the program’s core belief: “Indigenous peoples have the solutions to address not only their own communities' challenges but also many of the world's most pressing issues. This perspective is essential for fostering genuine reconciliation and building societies that are more equitable, healthier and truly inclusive for everyone.” He also reminded the audience of the long and winding struggle for Indigenous rights in Victoria.
Truth telling is the means by which a state complies with its obligation to remedy historical injustices…We must start with truth-telling so that history is not only corrected, but acknowledged.
-Dr. Albert K. Barume
Ngarra Murray, Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, described the tireless work undertaken by those who had spearheaded the treaty’s progress. She shared the approach to consensus decision making taken by the First Peoples’ Assembly, and reflected on the importance of deep listening in spaces where there are diverse views.
Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for First Peoples, Christine Couzens MP, acknowledged the pain of the truth-telling process but highlighted there was learning, too, including within the Victorian parliament. She spoke of her hope for sustained social change through updates to the Victorian curriculum, to mandate the teaching of the Yoorrook Justice Commission findings in schools and to help establish a shared understanding of the past.
UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Dr. Albert K. Barume, said: “Truth telling is the means by which a state complies with its obligation to remedy historical injustices…We must start with truth-telling so that history is not only corrected, but acknowledged.” He emphasized the significance of treaties, which emanate from international rather than domestic law, as they represent an agreement between nations. He described the developments in Australia as “inspiring and unique.”
Closing the discussion, Harpinder Collacott, Director of Innovations and Partnerships at the Atlantic Institute, reiterated that meaningful change can only happen when those most affected by injustice are at the center of solution-making, and reflected on the incredible resilience of the First Peoples of Victoria in their long journey toward the Statewide Treaty.
Panelists agreed that there was much more work to be done locally to ensure that the framework of the Statewide Treaty was translated into systemic positive change for the First Peoples of Victoria. However, there was optimism that change was already underway and that learnings from the Victorian journey could inform and inspire communities and policymakers, nationally and globally.
The Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) and the Atlantic Institute acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands in which the AFSE program at the University of Melbourne is located, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations. We pay respect to all Indigenous Peoples of the lands on which we work and teach.
About Us
AFSE is an Indigenous-centered program that supports Fellows across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific to complete a master’s in social change delivered at the University of Melbourne. In their Foundation Year, Fellows are supported to build their leadership capacity underpinned by Indigenous knowledges and practical insights for driving lasting social change. Find out more here.
The Atlantic Institute brings together Atlantic Fellows from seven equity programs, including Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, into a lifelong global community. The Institute serves as a convening and knowledge-sharing hub, offering resources and opportunities for Fellows to connect, learn and work together. Fellows are encouraged to work collectively on solutions that address systemic causes of inequity in their communities and beyond, and they are connected to a broader network of equity-focused leadership initiatives to create a fairer world. Find out more at https://www.atlanticfellows.org/.
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