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• Community Guide: Social Justice and Native Title Reports

Also see

• Native Title Report 2012

Transmittal Letter

26 October 2012

The Hon Nicola Roxon MP

Attorney-General

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Attorney

Social Justice Report 2012

I am pleased to present to you the Social Justice Report 2012 (the Report), which I have

prepared in accordance with section 46C(1)(a) of the ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ

Act 1986 (Cth) (AHRC Act).

The AHRC Act provides that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Commissioner is to submit a report regarding the enjoyment and exercise of human rights

by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and including recommendations as to the

action that should be taken to ensure the exercise and enjoyment of human rights by those

persons.

The theme of governance in the Social Justice and Native Title Reports for 2012 relates

directly to my priorities concerning relationships and giving full effect to the United Nations

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In this Report, I will look at governance as a

tool for achieving the goals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

I will outline three components of a framework for effective governance in Indigenous

communities: a foundation of community governance and self-determination; good

organisational governance; and an enabling role played by government and other external

parties. I will look at what this means in practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

communities and those external parties.

Appendix 2 of the Report provides a chronology of key events for 2011–2012.

Finally, the Social Justice Report 2012 provides several recommendations for your

consideration.

I look forward to discussing the Report with you.

Yours sincerely

Mick Gooda

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Social Justice Commissioner