The Australian state of Victoria on Thursday signed the country’s first modern treaty with Aboriginal people, a move described by advocates as a significant step toward reconciliation and greater Indigenous participation in policymaking. The agreement, which comes into effect on December 12, includes a formal apology to Australia’s First Nations communities and establishes a permanent representative body to advise the Victorian government.

Victoria’s move marks the first such agreement in Australia , a development the United Nations human rights chief called “historic.” “Today marks a new chapter in the story of our state,” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said at the signing ceremony in Melbourne.

Unlike countries such as the United States, Canada and New Zealand, Australia has never s

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