Australia is set to formalize its first treaty with Aboriginal people today, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s history. This treaty, established in Victoria, is recognized as Australia’s first modern treaty agreement with Indigenous peoples. The United Nations human rights chief has called this development "historic."

For years, Australia has been an outlier among countries colonized by the British, such as New Zealand and Canada, which have established treaties with Indigenous groups. The lack of treaties in Australia has long symbolized the denial of rights for First Peoples, particularly regarding land ownership, throughout the country’s colonial past.

The journey to this treaty has been lengthy. Despite numerous promises and decades of advocacy from First Peoples, no Australian government has reached this point until now. The binding agreement is expected to be signed today by the co-chairs of Victoria's elected First Peoples Assembly, along with the Victorian premier and the minister for treaty. Additionally, the legislation that supports the treaty, which passed through parliament last month, will be signed by Victoria's governor, officially making it law.

The treaty follows nearly ten years of design, consultation, and negotiation. It aims to "reset" the relationship between First Peoples and the Victorian government. The agreement acknowledges historical injustices and includes commitments backed by state funding to enhance outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians. This includes the establishment of an ongoing Aboriginal authority led by elected Aboriginal representatives, as well as new initiatives focused on accountability and truth-telling, set to begin next year.

The treaty document, spanning 34 pages, details the agreements reached between the state and the First Peoples' Assembly after extensive negotiations. It emphasizes the deep connection of Aboriginal people to the land now known as Victoria, stating, "This Country was never empty, never unclaimed. The fiction of 'land belonging to no one' ignored those already here."

The treaty also reflects on the impact of European colonization in Victoria, drawing from findings of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, which documented acts of genocide, massacres, cultural destruction, forced child removals, and economic exclusion. The treaty notes that within two decades of colonization, the First Peoples population in Victoria had decreased by nearly 90 percent. It calls for the state to acknowledge this history and work towards a fairer future for all, stating, "It is a rare thing for a government to admit it was wrong — rarer still to commit, in plain words and enduring actions, to making it right. Yet that is what this moment asks. That is what this moment makes possible — a moment we claim together."

The treaty has received international attention, with UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk praising it as a "very significant moment for all Australians." He stated, "It represents a major step toward justice and equality. It addresses the continued exclusion of and discrimination against the country's First Peoples — the result of colonization."

Türk expressed hope that this treaty would inspire other leaders in Australia and beyond to adopt similar measures for recognizing Indigenous peoples through inclusive governance and reconciliation efforts, ultimately fostering a society based on mutual respect and human rights for all.

Victoria's treaty-making framework allows for the negotiation of additional treaties with specific traditional owner groups. While there are commitments to treaty processes in New South Wales and South Australia, efforts have stalled or been repealed in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania. The Labor government in Victoria supports the treaty, while the state Liberal opposition has vowed to abolish it if elected in next year’s state election. A public event to celebrate the signing of Victoria's first treaty is scheduled for December.