What is the National Agreement on Closing the Gap?

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is Australia’s national framework for accelerating genuine improvements in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap represents a fundamental shift in how governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, families and organisations, moving from top-down decision-making to genuine partnership and shared accountability. The National Agreement is a landmark commitment between the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations and all Australian governments at the Commonwealth, state, territory and local levels. It was formally signed on 27 July 2020, following extensive engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations across the country.

Under the National Agreement, all governments have committed to:

• Four Priority Reforms that transform how governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, embedding genuine shared decision-making.
• 19 socio-economic targets across areas including early childhood, education, health, justice, safety, housing and wellbeing, aimed at achieving equitable life outcomes.

The National Agreement is grounded in what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have identified as essential to improving lives and includes shared monitoring and accountability mechanisms to track progress and hold governments to account.

SNAICC’s role in Closing the Gap

SNAICC plays a leading national role in progressing Closing the Gap through our membership in the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations.

The Coalition of Peaks is a collective of more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies, representing over 800 community-controlled organisations across Australia. SNAICC is a founding member of the Coalition of Peaks, which came together as an act of self-determination; to be formal partners with governments in Closing the Gap, not just consulted stakeholders. It plays a critical role in holding governments accountable to their commitments under the National Agreement and ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priorities remain central to implementation.

The Coalition is led by Aunty Pat Turner as Lead Convener, with SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle a key member.

Through our membership with the Coalition of Peaks, SNAICC ensures the voices, priorities and expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, and our Members, are represented in national decision-making. We advocate for reform that is community-led, culturally safe and grounded in self-determination, particularly in areas affecting children and families, including early childhood education and care, child protection and family safety.

As part of the Coalition of Peaks, SNAICC contributes to shared decision-making forums and working groups addressing cross-cutting reforms, including:

• justice policy
• workforce development
• economic inclusion
• sovereignty and self-determination
• evaluation and monitoring, and
• public sector reform

Alongside this work, we continue to advocate for systemic reform to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up safe, supported and connected to family, culture and community.

Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership

SNAICC is the co-chair of the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership, a shared decision-making mechanism established under Priority Reform One of the National Agreement. Through this Partnership, SNAICC works directly with the Australian Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to shape early childhood policy, drive reform and improve outcomes for children in their early years.

Background on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap

The original Closing the Gap framework was established in 2008 through the National Indigenous Reform Agreement. While it aimed to improve outcomes across health, education and economic participation, progress was slow and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were largely excluded from meaningful decision-making. By 2018, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and peak bodies, including SNAICC, were clear that a different approach was needed. Concerns that governments continued to make decisions without genuine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership led to formal discussions with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

Formation of the Coalition of Peaks

In early 2019, the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (the Coalition of Peaks), of which SNAICC is a founding member, formed as a collective of community-controlled peak bodies to negotiate a new national partnership on Closing the Gap. Its purpose was to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had shared decision-making authority, and were not just consultation, in crafting and implementing policy. In March 2019, the Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap was signed between the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, the Australian Local Government Association and the Coalition of Peaks, formally recognising shared decision making as central to the refresh process. This was the first time Australian governments formally agreed to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative organisations to shape the national framework.

Developing the National Agreement

Throughout late 2019, a comprehensive engagement process led by the Coalition of Peaks gathered input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country about what needed to be included in the new Agreement. Communities, Elders, organisations and families shared their perspectives on priorities, barriers, cultural strengths and solutions. On 3 July 2020, the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, a decision-making body established through the Partnership, agreed on the final draft of the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap. This Agreement was then signed on 27 July 2020 by all Australian governments, the Coalition of Peaks and the Australian Local Government Association. It is the first national agreement of its kind developed in genuine partnership with shared accountability and joint responsibility for outcomes.

Priority Reforms

Closing the Gap is based on the belief that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them, better outcomes are achieved. To support this, the National Agreement’s Priority Reforms include:

• Priority Reform One: Formal partnerships and genuine shared decision-making so Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives have real authority alongside government.
• Priority Reform Two: Strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector to lead and deliver services.
• Priority Reform Three: Transforming government organisations to be more responsive, culturally safe and accountable.
• Priority Reform Four: Shared access to data and information at a regional level so communities can make informed decisions about Closing the Gap in their own contexts.

Each party to the Natioal Agreement, including governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners, develops Implementation Plans that outline how policies and programs align with the National Agreement, and what actions will be taken to achieve the Priority Reforms and target outcomes.

Accountability and long-term change

SNAICC continues to work closely with the Coalition of Peaks and governments to implement the National Agreement, advocate for culturally safe reform and hold all parties accountable for measurable progress. Through shared decision-making, implementation planning and national advocacy, we remain committed to addressing structural inequities, closing opportunity gaps and reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in systems, such as child protection, so children and families can thrive, now and into the future.