CANBERRA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has announced funding for a coalition of indigenous organizations "to change the way governments and indigenous Australians work together."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced 4.6 million Australians dollars (3.2 million U.S. dollars) in funding to run the National Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organizations (NCATSIPO).
Comprised of 14 peak indigenous organizations, the NCATSIPO will work alongside state, territory and federal governments to redraft the Closing the Gap targets.
Established in 2008, Closing the Gap is the government's strategy that aims to reduce the disadvantages faced by indigenous Australians in life expectancy, child mortality, access to early childhood education, educational achievement and employment outcomes.
"It recognizes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples must play an integral part in making the decisions that affect their lives," Morrison told News Corp Australia on Wednesday.
"This agreement will put indigenous peoples at the heart of the development and implementation of the next phase of Closing the Gap, embedding shared decision making and accountability at the center of the way we do business.
"To effect real change, governments must work collaboratively and in genuine, formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples because they are the essential agents of change. The change we all want to see will only come if we work together."
According to the most recent report on the Closing the Gap, which was released in February, only two out of the seven targets are on track, prompting the government to revise the targets.
The first meeting of the NCATSIPO will be chaired by Nigel Scullion, the minister for indigenous affairs, and Pat Turner, chief executive officer of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization.
"The joint council represents a historic step forward in the practical working relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and governments," Scullion said.
"This is the first time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives and ministerial leaders have met formally as part of a joint council to progress the Closing the Gap agenda and improve the lives of indigenous Australians no matter where they live."
